NPF calls out PDA for shifting Citizenship Bill stance

Dimapur, Jan. 9 (EMN): The Naga Peoples’ Front Legislature Party (NPF) has called out the government of Nagaland allegedly for changing its stance on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill of 2016, which was passed in the Parliament recently. The NPF’s spokesman, Imkong Imchen, issued a press release on Thursday lamenting that the government was “dumb and deaf” while the Northeast communities are up in arms. The NPF legislators are deeply perturbed by the “unstable” government and its “contradictory statements” on the Citizenship Bill, the press release stated. ‘Not long ago after the formation of the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) government, the state’s Cabinet met to deliberate on issues concerning the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill of 2016.’ The government allegedly stated that “they would not oppose the Bill, as the state of Nagaland is protected under Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India and Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873 (Inner Line Permit).” Further, even a team from the Nagaland Cabinet went to Delhi to meet the Home minister of India and categorically told him about the government not opposing the bill, the NPF stated. According to the press release, the NPF had “downrightly” demanded that the government of Nagaland oppose the bill as the state was vulnerable to illegal immigrants, and the repercussions of the controversial bill would be disastrous to the future of the Nagas. The NPF said to have raised this issue again during the past few days. “And subsequently, the PDA government had a cabinet meeting on the 7th January 2019 to once again deliberate on this and disappointingly the decision of the Cabinet was ‘to urge the centre to re-examine and review’ the controversial bill. No mention were (sic) made as in what form to ‘re-examine and review’ as the bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha.” The opposition accused the government of assuring that “we are protected and will not oppose the bill” but again that “if it goes ‘against the interest of the Nagas’” it would oppose the bill. “The NPF party also sought to raise this issue in the 2nd session of the assembly and accordingly the subject was listed in the business list of the day but bizarrely, the speaker of the house refused to let the NPF MLAs to delve on this subject. Also the Leader of the NPF Legislature party, Shri. TR Zeliang had written a letter to the chief minister on this subject, on 16th July 2018, seeking clarification on the stand of PDA government.” The Naga population is “crying politically” or otherwise to “defend its integrity and identity at any cost,” the NPF stated. But the central government has brought about a legal passage for illegal immigrants to swarm the north-eastern states and in particular the state of Nagaland, the NPF stated. “The much talked about article 371(A) of the Constitution of India shall also become redundant should this bill be passed and becomes a law,” the opposition warned. “When the whole of north-eastern states India is burning and crying for remedy to this Bill, the state government of Nagaland is playing dumb and deaf which is setting a bad precedent and will go down in the history book for the younger generation to read of the betrayal and stoic attitude which this PDA government maintained when it had the opportunity to do something about it today.”