New Delhi, Nov. 29 (PTI): Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram, where Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime is applicable, are likely to be kept out of the purview of the proposed Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), which is expected to be introduced in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, officials said on Friday.
The information comes amidst an initiative taken by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to hold discussions with chief ministers of the north-eastern states and different indigenous groups, civil society members and political parties of the region to assuage their concerns over the issue.
“There is all likelihood that three states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram -- where ILP regime is prevalent will be kept out of the purview of the CAB. Discussions are ongoing whether the Sixth Schedule areas in the Northeast could also be kept out of the purview of the CAB,” said a senior government official engaged in the consultations process.
The Union Home Minister is holding a series of meetings with chief ministers of north-eastern states and leaders of sociocultural bodies, students’ organisations and political parties from the region beginning Friday on plans to amend the Citizenship Act.
Those whom Shah is holding discussions on Friday, Saturday and on December 3 with include North East Students’ Organisation, All Bodo Students’ Union and students bodies from Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
The meetings with the chief ministers will be held on Saturday, an official said.
Leaders of several political parties -- both regional and state chiefs of national political parties -- and heads of socio-cultural organisations have also been invited for the discussions, the official said.
Shah is holding the meetings in the wake of strong protests by many organisations against the bill in the Northeast.
Kenye joins anti-CAB protest
Kohima, Nov. 29 (EMN): The lone Rajya Sabha MP from Nagaland, KG Kenye joined a group of fellow MPs from the Northeast, on Friday in New Delhi, to protest the Centre’s move to introduce the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in the Parliament.
A press release from the MP’s office stated that the protesting MPs asked the Centre not to ‘impose a diktat in the NE states without a thorough consultation with the stakeholders of the region’.
They suggested amending the Bill in order to avoid any further controversies, which otherwise will ‘surely snowball into an irreversible catastrophe’, it stated.
Kenye also told news channel that the CAB is very sensitive to the Northeast as the region is surrounded by five countries; and urged the Centre to reconsider and not impose the Bill.
