Now, citizenship bill faces opposition in Meghalaya
Several civil society groups, including a students’ body, in Meghalaya have opposed the Centre’s proposed move to grant citizenship to six persecuted religious minorities from neighbouring countries during a meeting with the joint parliamentary committee on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
Ten civil society and interest groups, including Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT), and traditional institutions of the state met the committee in Shillong and unanimously opposed the amendment.
“In totality, we oppose the proposed bill and demand that Inner Line Permit system should be introduced for the entire region and constitutional safeguards should be provided to the people of NE states,” North East Students Organisation (NESO), umbrella body of student organisations in the northeast, said in a petition to the committee.
Front-ranking interest and pressure groups like Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) and Hynñiewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF)
SHILLONG:
also held protests against the bill in the state capital.
The 16-member committee, led by BJP Lok Sabha member Rajendra Agarwal, conducted the hearing in Shillong on Thursday.
The bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, to grant citizenship without valid documents to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians facing prosecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India.
“We have held sittings in Guwahati, Silchar and Shillong. If need be, the committee can think of holding more sittings in these states later,” Agrawal said while speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting.
The six-party ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, which also includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said earlier this week it will oppose the bill as it was “dangerous” for a small state like Meghalaya and does not benefit the people of the tribal state in any way.
The leader of the pro-talks faction of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) Anup Chetia, who is the chief convener of the newlyformed North East Indigenous People’s Forum (NEIPF), lauded the Meghalaya government for opposing the bill.