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LegisLation

Citizenship (Amendment) succeeded in getting assurance from that the motivated elements “clev- ficed their lives. The forum also claimed

erly avoided the fact that those asylum
the AGP leaders that if the bill is amend-
that the immigrants who entered In-
seekers are not merely Bengali Hindus,
ed they would quit Sarbanad Sonowal-
dia between 1951 and 1971 (December
Bill sparks uproar in Assam led government in Dispur. but also a mix of Rajbongshi, Hajong, 16) should be treated as East Pakistani
However, the debate had a major
Jayantiya, Bishnupriya, Chakma, Garo,
nationals, as Bangladesh emerged as a
Khasi, Adivasi, etc. people.” “Moreover,
turn when a leader from Asom Sattra
sovereign nation only after December
Mahasabha, an organisation represent- all these people are the victims of Pa- 16 (not March 25, 1971, as often reported
ing the Vaishnavite monasteries of As- kistan’s partition game plan and had by media) following the surrender of
To grant Citizenship Act in Assam by the BJP-led government shelter in the country prior to Decem- sam, placed a memorandum in front to live in a foreign land for which they Pakistani forces under the leadership
in the State and Centre, in the name of religion, is seen as a ber 31, 2014. The people of Assam has of the Joint Parliamentary Committee are not at all responsible,” the statement of Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, popu-
witnessed rigorous protests by a num-
larly called AAK Niazi to the Muktijod-
asserted.
(JPC), supporting the amendment in
political ploy by the indigenous people of Assam who have ber of influential bodies like All Assam New Delhi very recently. At least, two It also clarified that the initiative is dhas (forces of Bangladesh freedom
vehemently opposed the plan, seeking a rational solution to it, Students’ Union, Asom Sahitya Sabha, other organisations representing Ben- meant to allow citizenship for those struggle).
Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity along gali and Nepali communities of the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Christian, Jain However, father of Bangladesh
writes nava thakuria with a number of outfits representing state also supported the Centre’s move. and Parsi refugees, who were persecut- Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared
the ethnic populace. However, over 25 indigenous outfits ve- ed because of their religious practices in the independence of Bangladesh on
Need not to mention that the ruling hemently opposed the amendment. Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan March 25, 1971, but, the land was very
Bhartiya Janata Party has supported the The local media targeted Asom Sat- and had already taken shelter in India much under the Pakistani authority till
move, whereas, Asom Gana Parishad, tra Mahasabha and went on terming prior to December, 31, 20 14, and there is December 16 of the year, hence, it can-
Congress, All India United Democratic it as Jatidrohi (anti-Assamese). Both the no provision to bring more Bangladeshi not be termed as Bangladesh (so as the
Front, CPI, CPM, etc. has continued op- print and electronic media outlets in residents as Bangladeshi nationals), the
posing it. The primary reason to oppose Assam were poured in with news and statement added.
the Centre’s move was that ‘in a federal views against the organisations, fol- The alternate Finally, the PPFA statement even
and democratic set-up’, New Delhi was lowing which they retreated from their argued that if the deportation of ille-
forcing legislation against the interest earlier stand, issued an apology to their media — where gitimate immigrants (Bangladeshi) be-
of Assam and its people. The new pro- millions of followers and also suspend- unhealthy, biased comes impossible or too difficult to deal
visions are being understood as to turn ed the leaders who went to attend the with because of serious humanitarian
the Assamese people into a minority in JPC hearing in New Delhi. and irresponsible and international crisis, the Union Gov-
their own state. Moreover, the develop- However, a media statement from outbursts rule — ernment should think of offering work
ment would affect the long accepted a patriotic forum changed the atmos- permits (without voting rights) for them
and sustained secular principles ac- phere astoundingly. Expressing con- give space for the to resolve the issue amicably.
corded in the constitution of a republic cern over “creating sentiments with debates on the Suddenly, the print media in Guwa-
(India). unhealthy debates” and “aggressive hati has lost interest in debating over
“The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, attacks on the organisations,” the Patri- Citizenship Act the issue. The city-based satellite news
2016, is clearly aimed at affecting the otic People’s Front Assam (PPFA), which channels too have completely ignored
people of Assam rather selectively. It is, supports the Centre’s amendment ini- the PPFA statement, subsequently
therefore, discriminatory in nature and tiative, issued a statement emphasising (or Pakistani and Afghan national) after shutting the doors to talk about the is-
deserves to be abandoned immediately on rational debates over the pertinent the said date. sue logically. The alternate media gave
if India claims to be a true democracy issue, which was eventually pub- Extending support to the amend- space for the debates, where unhealthy,
that respects the wishes, aspirations lished by most of the Guwahati-based ment, the PPFA, however, demanded bias and irresponsible outbursts domi-
photo: ujjal deb and fears of the people instead of trying morning dailies. The forum, compris- that the asylum seekers from the neigh- nate the space. By now, a number of
to ram a perverse law down the throats ing a group of nationalist individuals, bouring countries must be distributed organisations namely Hindu Jagaran
ssam was waiting to boil • Language row Those who prefer to stay of millions,” read an editorial of a Guwa- claimed in the statement that “a section judiciously across India. Moreover, Mancha, Hojai Nagarik Samaj, Akhil
once the Centre gets suc- legally in Assam have been advised to adopt hati-based newspaper. of Assamese intellectuals and civil soci- those who prefer to stay legally in As- Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, etc. came
ceeded in amending the the Assamese language Meanwhile, a forum opposing The ety groups had tried their best to project sam should adopt the Assamese lan- out with official statements supporting
Citizenship Act that pro- Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, has The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, guage. The PPFA, also, reiterated its old the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. They
A vides legal rights to stay in surfaced in the State and it has declared in a bias perception as if the whole ini- stand to detect all illegal immigrants claimed that the initiative would affect
India to religious minorities or refugees, Bill, 2016, in the Parliament, but, sud- protest programs against the Centre’s tiative is Assam centric.” “Those biased from the then East Pakistan (present the Assamese community as a whole,
except for Muslim, from the neighbour- denly, the voice got dilute and the lo- plan to grant citizenship to those seek- individuals have made the hue and cry Bangladesh) with the cut-off year of but would help the nation to a greater
ing countries. A number of indigenous cal media of Guwahati soon started to ing asylum in the State. The forum com- that once it turns into a law, millions of 1951 as it is applicable to the entire na- extent in the days to come.
organisations, local politicians, intel- ignore the razing issue. prising a number of Assamese authors, Bengali Hindu people from Bangladesh tion. It argued that the spirit of Assam
lectuals, media personalities, etc. from The debate emerged as soon as the journalists, academicians, political ob- would be dumped into Assam and the Movement (1979 to 1985) was to de- The author is a Northeast India-based
Assam have unanimously opposed Union Government prepared to pave servers, etc. recently joined in a sit-in practice will continue for decades,” it port all foreigners since 1951, in which political commentator
the recent initiative of the Centre to ways for granting citizenship to those demonstration in the city with sizable added. Khargeswar Talukder, the first martyr
endorse the Citizenship (Amendment) asylum seekers, who had already taken participation. The forum, somehow, The PPFA statement also claimed of Assam and over 850 martyrs sacri- letters@tehelka.com

tehelka / 31 may 2018 36 www.tehelka.com tehelka / 31 may 2018 37 www.tehelka.com

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