Protests against CAB continue in Assam

Amid reports that Citizenship (Amendment) Bill might come up during ongoing session of Parliament, protests against the contentious legislation continued in Assam with taking out huge protest rallies and burnt the effigies of Sarbananda Sonowal and Union home minister Amit Shah in across the various parts of the state on Wednesday opposing CAB.

Holding banners and placards, the activists have carried out protests in Nagaon, Morigaon, Lakhimpur, Biswanath Chariali along with Nalbari and many other districts demanding CAB be scrapped as it is "unconstitutional" and goes against the "existence of the indigenous people of Assam and the other North-East States".

All Assam Students' Union (AASU), ASSP asserting that the legislation will not be accepted at any cost by the people of the State. "Chief Minister of Assam who was given the title 'Jatiya Nayak' (Peoples Hero) because he had got the illegal migrants (determination) by Tribunals Act scrapped is today silent on CAB when his counterparts in the N-E are strongly opposing it.

"We demand a plebiscite on CAB and then the Government take a decision whether to or not bring the law based on its outcome", maintained the leader of AJYCP. One of the demonstrators holding banners and placards against the bill, avered: "the people of Assam cannot accept CAB as it will make the indigenous people and their language extinct with the settlement of people from other countries here". The anti-CAB movement has intensified since November 11 when, AASU, Akhil Gogoi-led KMSS, and the Indigenous Forum, Assam.

They have been raising slogans againstthe BJP-led central and Assam governments for allegedly adopting an "anti-Assampolicy to settle illegal Hindu migrants in the state by amending theCitizenship Act, thereby changing the demographic pattern of the State".  

In September this year, Union HomeMinister Amit Shah had stated at a NEDA meeting in Guwahati that the existingdifferent laws of all states of the region will remain untouched even with theintroduction of the CAB with the cut- off date of December 31, 2014.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill waspassed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 but not tabled in Rajya Sabha but recentlythe Finance Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma had clearly said that CABwill pass in Rajya Sabha before 10 December of the year.

On the other hand, Congress leaders also had seen doing protest against CAB in New Delhi today. According to the Congress, party CAB is totally against the Constitution of India and it will violate the rules and equality of the Constitution.

It seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India even if they do not possess any document.