Multiple national and international award-winning Indian film director from Assam, Jahnu Barua explained why the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has rekindled the anti-foreigner sentiment of the 1980s.
How Does It Affect Existing Citizens? As per 1971, the Assamese speaking population was 60.88 percent, which came down to 48.81 percent in 2001, a drop of 12 percent. On the other hand, Bengali-speaking people had shot up during the same period – 19.71 percent in 1971 and 27.55 percent in 2001 census, a rise of 8 percent increase," he informed.
Assam has accepted an additional 20 lakh "Bangladeshi migrants", he said.
Barua, in a video he shared on the CAA, said, "The Assamese society is composed of all the indigenous people of the state who have been living together harmoniously for centuries. We are proud of this very unique identity. We surely don't want to see it getting extinct in years to come at any cost. Unfortunately, with this new CAA coming in, the identity is getting threatened."