Arunachal Pradesh Students Launch Protest Against Citizenship Bill

Itanagar, November 18, 2019:

Several students organisations took to the streets of Arunachal Pradesh to protest against the Central government’s proposal to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), 2016 on Monday.

The North East Students' Organisation (NESO), a union of students’ bodies from all the eight northeastern states, has launched massive protests across the region in protest of CAB. The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), under the banner of NESO, also conducted rallies across the state capital, starting from Indira Gandhi Park, till Raj Bhawan in Itanagar.

ALSO READ: AASU Leader Samujjal Bhattacharya Calls Upon Assam CM Sonowal to Oppose CAB

Students have been demanding that the government should consider the interests of the indigenous population of the state and the region. NESO had earlier announced about the series of protests that they will be conducting across the state capitals.

In Assam, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) had partaken in the Northeast-wide protests against the allegedly ‘communal’ Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Guwahati city.

The student body’s members, which includes students from many colleges and institutions, staged a protest in front of Guwahati’s Raj Bhawan. They had submitted a memorandum to Assam Governor PB Acharya, so that he can take the concerns of the people to the power corridors in New Delhi.

ALSO READ: Assam’s Traditional ‘Gamosa’ Gets Geographical Identity Tag

Speaking to Inside Northeast, People’s Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM) party President Vanlalruata said that the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is harmful for Mizoram and other Northeast Indian states.

“How can the Indian government prefer illegal aliens over its own citizens?” he asked, adding, “I request Indian government to exempt Northeast Indian states”.

The state of Mizoram also has joined in the protest against the Government’s intention to re-introduce the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the upcoming winter session of Parliament.

It is to be mentioned here that the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union and other students’ organisations have also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through state Governor Brig (Retd.) BD Mishra to oppose the Bill.

It may be mentioned here that the new draft of the Citizenship Bill will be different from the one that lapsed earlier this year in the Upper House, presumably because the ruling BJP party did not have a majority in the Upper House.

The CAB seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 in order to provide citizenship to migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who are of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian groups, was passed by the Lok Sabha in January this year.

According to reports, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, is likely to discuss the controversial Bill.

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