SILCHAR MP Angers Minority Community For Supporting Citizenship (Amendment) Bill

WITH several organizations in Assam opposing the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill-2016, majority of people are willing to put up with it for the greater cause of the Assamese community. The bill is awaiting nod of the Rajya Sabha after it was approved by The Lok Sabha .Meanwhile, Congress MP Sushmita Dev has earned flacks from the minority community for supporting the bill. Former Katigorah MLA and a veteran Congress leader Ataur Rahman Majharbhuiya has questioned Dev’s intent saying “At a time when the motive behind placing the Bill is known to all and even the AICC and APCC have vehemently opposed the Bill. What makes the Silchar MP expressed  her solidarity on the passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha.”?, he asked and added that the steps taken by the Congress in Parliament has hurt the sentiments of the Muslims who had voted for her in 2014 elections. Meanwhile, leaders of the Congress party  have started voicing demands for giving ticket to a candidate from the minority community to contest in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections from Silchar.In the midst of strong opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio reaffirmed the state cabinet’s decision that the Bill in its present form needed review. He said the cabinet had on June 5 last year and on January 7 discussed the Bill.Rio was addressing the Poanglüm Mini Hornbill, organised by Chang Khulei Setshang at Loyem Memorial ground in Tuensang on Saturday, a CMO release said. Rio said the cabinet resolved to propose adoption of a resolution reaffirming all provisions of Article 371(A) and to strengthen the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) as per the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 in the next session of the Assembly. We had also resolved to discuss with all political parties as well as with all stakeholders,” Rio said. At the same time, he also expressed solidarity with those communities who will be affected if the Bill becomes an act.Rio said that the Nagas and Nagaland state are protected under the Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 and the inner line permit (ILP) regulations.“The 16 Point Agreement through which we attained statehood, also clearly states in Clause No. 16 that with regard to Inner Line Regulation, the rules embodied in the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, shall remain in force in Nagaland,” he said.The wondered how and why the opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) was silent when the Bill was introduced in July 2016 and asked whether the party was silent at that time since it was in alliance with the BJP then. The NPF has raised its voice only now, he noted. He urged the people not to be misled by the views of opposition parties, especially when the Bill has not even been passed in Rajya Sabha for which there is still time to review it. “The Bill has not even been passed. I do not know what the Opposition is trying to portray,” Rio said.The Bill seeks to provide citizenship to Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis who are compelled to leave their  homes in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan(with inputs from The Assam Tribune).