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Assamese singer Zubin Garg with Nipen Hazarika during a protest against Citizanship (Amendment) Bill, in Tezpur on Thursday. (PTI Photo)[/caption]
Guwahati, Jan. 17 (PTI): Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), which is spearheading the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Thursday claimed that around 20 lakh Hindu Bangladeshis would become Indians if the controversial Bill is passed.
Addressing a press conference, KMSS Adviser Akhil Gogoi slammed the BJP-led government for its attempt to get the Bill passed despite widespread protests across the North East.
"The BJP and Himanta Biswa Sarma is saying that only eight lakh Hindu Bangladeshis, who are already staying here, will get citizenship. But our assessment is that 20 lakh people are present in Assam at this moment and they will get citizenship as soon as the Bill is passed," he added.
Elaborating on his claim, the prominent RTI activist said that a report of former Assam Governor Lt Gen S K Sinha had mentioned that over one crore people have entered India.
"When I met former Assam Assembly Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul, who is from BJP, he said around 15-20 lakh Hindu Bangladeshis are in Assam. Himanta Biswa Sarma himself had said that out of the 40 lakh excluded from the complete draft of NRC (National Register of Citizens), 22 lakh were Hindus.
"Saugata Roy had said in Parliament that 28 lakh Hindu Bengalis are excluded from NRC. So, these different figures by various sources clearly say that around 20 lakh Hindus from Bangladesh are living in Assam, not eight lakh as claimed by BJP," Gogoi said.
He further claimed that as per Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, there are around 1.7 crore Hindus, which is 10.7 per cent of that country's total population.
"If the Bill is passed, this will pave the ways for these 1.7 crore people in Bangladesh to come to Assam and get Indian nationality as there is no cut-off date in the Bill.
So, there is a possibility that a total of 1.9 crore people are likely to get Indian citizenship in coming years," Gogoi said.
He claimed that if that happens, the entire demography of Assam will change irreparably.
Gogoi accused the BJP-led government for garnering votes in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls by bringing in three sensitive issues one after another.
"Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Committee on Clause-6 of Assam Accord and another committee on ST status were brought at this time only for polarising the society on communal lines for the votes. That is why we all should resist it.
"We will shed out blood, but will not allow the Bill to pass. We will do everything possible to stop it," he said.
The Bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, provides for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.
A large section of people and organisations in the northeast have opposed the bill saying it would nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.
The opposition Congress on Thursday announced a series of programmes till January 31 across Assam to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee Spokesperson Rhituparna Konwar said the BJP-led state and central governments are "imposing" the Bill, which will completely nullify the Assam Accord of 1985.
"This Bill will endanger the very existence of Assamese community. To protest this, we have decided to launch our second series of agitation under 'Jagaao Asom, Bachaao Asom' programme from January 21 to 31," Konwar said in a statement.
As per the programme, all district and block Congress units would light lamps and hold 'Sarba dharma' (all religion) prayer in the evening of January 21 so that the BJP government "gets its wisdom back".
On January 23, 'Sankalp Divas' will be organised coinciding with birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to get inspired by the secular ideology of the freedom fighter to fight the communal Bill, Konwar said.
The following day, a five-hour sit-in will be held, while human chains will be formed on January 30 across the state, he added.
"On the last day, which is January 31, a two-hour torch light procession will be taken out to protest against the Bill.
The Congress has decided to strongly oppose any move to pass the Bill," Konwar informed.