Rajnath Singh assures Manipur will not be affected by Citizenship Bill

Guwahati, January 31, 2019:

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday assured an all political parties team from Manipur that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will not affect the state and that he will personally look into the matter about it.

An all political parties team from Manipur headed by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh met the Home Minister at his Delhi residence on Thursday at 12:30 pm and submitted a memorandum calling for the withdrawal of the controversial Bill. During the meeting, the Minister assured the team that the Bill will not affect Manipur and that he would personally look into the matter.

[caption id="attachment_22568" align="alignnone" width="660"] The all parties' memorandum[/caption]

The memorandum submitted to the Union Home Minister called for withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 and to insert a clause for the protection of the indigenous people of Northeast region in general and the state of Manipur in particular.

The memorandum also informed the Minister of the all political parties’ meet in Manipur on January 28, 2019 to discuss the issue of the Bill in view of its passage in the Lok Sabha.

While the meeting noted the outcry and sentiments emanating following the passage of the Bill, it also unanimously resolved to submit a representation to authorities concerned of the Government of India through a delegation consisting of representatives of all political parties of the state for withdrawal of the said Bill or incorporating a safeguard clause in the bill before it is placed in the Rajya Sabha, so that, when the bill becomes an Act, there is adequate safeguard for the protection of the indigenous people of the North East region in general and Manipur in particular, the memorandum stated.

The memorandum further noted that while it would welcome the clarification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs that a final decision to grant citizenship to the migrants would rest with the concerned State government, it would be only appropriate and add strength to the above clarification is such a separate safeguard/exception clause ‘for the protection of indigenous people of North East region in general and the state of Manipur in particular’ is incorporated in the current bill. This would put an end to the growing uncertainty and doubt prevailing in the mind of the people of North East in general and Manipur in particular, it added.

The all political parties’ team also noted that if the above clause is not incorporated in the existing Bill in the form of an amendment, the people of Manipur and North East India fear that the demographic balance as existing now would be seriously affected.

In this regard, the delegates, through the memorandum, urged for incorporating a safeguarding clause for the protection of the indigenous people of North East region, particularly Manipur so that when the Bill becomes an Act, the region is not affected.

Headed by Chief Minister Biren Singh, the all political parties delegates consisted of K Bhabananda Singh, MP (RS) and President of BJP Manipur Pradesh; Thoudam Manihar Singh, Convenor, AamAadmi Party, Manipur; M. Asnikumar Singh, VP, BJP Manipur Pradesh; Dr. S. Manaoton Singh, President, All India Trinamool Congress Manipur Pradesh; Y. Nabachandra Singh, VP, North East India Development Party, Manipur; Kh. Armstrong Charang, Secretary, Naga People’s Front, Manipur; L. Bashanta Sharma, Sr. Leader, BJP Manipur Pradesh; L. Seth, President, People’s Democratic Alliance, Manipur; Dr. Ph. Jilasana Sharma, Sr. VP, NPP Manipur; Thangkhangin Ngaihte, President, Lok Jan Shakti Party, Manipur; B. Govind Sharma, Representative, Manipur People's Council, Manipur and K. Khagendra Singh, Sr. VP, Manipur National Democratic Front, Manipur.