The Hill Tribal League (HTL) will organize an agitation programme on May 16 next in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 at Diphu in Karbi Anglong district of Assam.
This was informed by its convenor Khorsing Teron during the press conference held at Karbi Students Association (KSA) conference hall on Friday.
Teron also said the organization has submitted a memorandum to the chairman of Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), Rajendra Agarwal, through the Deputy Commissioner of Diphu on Friday.
A press statement was also distributed during the press conference stated that the Bill if passed into an Act, would definitely open the floodgate of influx from Bangladesh to join the existing multitude of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
Development of Tripura like situation had already begun in Assam. The indigenous tribes and communities of Assam are going to be outnumbered by the illegal Muslim and Hindu Bangladeshi immigrants.
The indigenous people of the State are going to be marginalized and ultimately exterminated, socio-culturally, economically and politically, in and from their own homeland, added the statement.
The organization also stated the last hearing on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in Assam, as it appears, were just a formality.
Some selected organizations have only been asked to appear before the JPC.
Major organizations from the hill areas of Assam have not been informed about the hearing.
We are not in favour of such selective hearings. All stakeholders should be given an opportunity to place their views before the JPC and demanded that special hearing be conducted in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.
The ruling BJP-led NDA Government should first fulfil their poll promise of deporting all illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Assam.
The league further said that the Assam Accord on Foreigners Issue (Clause 5.1 to 5.9) itself is against the interest of Assam and the indigenous people of the State.
Section 6A has been inserted by Act 65 of 1985 into the Citizenship Act, 1955 to naturalize all illegal Bangladeshi is covered by the Accord.
Under the special provision of section 6A, all persons of Indian origin who came to Assam from the ‘specified territory’ that is, Bangladesh before March 25, 1971 shall ultimately be deemed to be citizens of India.
The validity of section 6A is highly questionable and ’13 questions’ relating to the constitutional validity of this particular section is pending for deliberation of a larger constitution bench of Supreme Court.
Detection, deletion and deportation of illegal Bangladeshis, irrespective of religion, should be based on the NRC first prepared in 1951.
The press conference was also attended by leaders of Karbi Students Association, United Karbi Students Association, Karbi Students’ & Youth Council and All India Karbi National Assembly.