Protests against Citizenship Bill planned across NE states

Dimapur, Nov. 15 (EMN): In a fresh move to demand total withdrawal of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, Foreigner (Amendment) Order 2015, Passport (Entry in to India) Notification 2015 and long-term visa, the North East Students’ Organisation (Neso) has announced a series of agitations in all the NE state capitals and in New Delhi beginning Nov. 20.

Neso is comprised of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF), All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Garo Students’ Union (GSU) and All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU).

In a statement issued on Thursday, the organisation alleged that the government of India had imposed said provisions in the Northeast to “protect the interest of the illegal Bangladeshis.” It stated that the “continuous flow of foreigners from Bangladesh has constantly altered the demography” of the NE states.

“The successive Union governments have failed to protect the border with Bangladesh. In fact, there is no visible, concrete and sincere effort on the part of the Union government to seal the border to stop illegal immigration from Bangladesh even today. The border remains an open frontier till today. The illegal immigration on the threatening scale was possible due to the failure of the government of India and the security forces on the border,” the statement read.

The protest, it informed, will begin at the ‘gateway of the North East in Guwahati’ on Nov. 20. Ten days later, on Nov. 30, simultaneous protests will be organised in all the state capitals of the seven NE states.

Neso will also organise a protest in New Delhi at the beginning of the next Parliament session, according to the plan. Then, each of its member organisations will meet the ministers, legislators and MPs from their respective state to ‘appeal and demand’ they oppose the Citizenship Bill ‘in every possible way.’

“We sense a political design of the Union government to kill our demand for NRC for the entire Northeast region,” the Neso stated. It demanded preparation of NRC for all NE states. “The state governments must fix the modalities after discussion with respective students’ body of the states. The process should start immediately.”

The organisation also appealed to all the political parties based in the Northeast to take their respective stand against the proposed Citizen (Amendment) Bill 2016, Foreigner (Amendment) Order 2015, Passport (Entry in to India) Notification 2015 and long-term visa.