Guwahati: Amid tension in most of the parts of North East over Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, thousands of people in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram are demonstrating protests in fear of becoming a minority in their own homeland.
The bill that is currently under the consideration of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), seeks to provide Indian citizenship to illegal migrants belonging to Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrians and Christian communities and come from neighbouring Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The organisations that have been opposing the bill include, the Conard Sangma-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), the Northeast Student’s Organisation (NESO), the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), the Naga Students Federation (NSF).
Other than these, the Khasi Students’ union and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) led by Akhil Gogoi have also opposed the bill, said The Economic Times report.
The Union Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohain had garnered controversy after saying that the Hindus of Bangladesh origin had supported BJP and so the party was also supporting the Bill. “It is Bangladeshi-origin Muslims who are posing a threat to the identity and culture of indigenous communities,” he had added.
