The North East Students’ Organization (NESO) has resolved to intensify its movement against the Centre’s move to implement the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB).
The winter session of Parliament will begin on November 18 and during the session, the Centre is likely to introduce a fresh version of the CAB.
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The Bill was passed by the previous Lok Sabha in January.
The Bill was to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha in February in the last session of Parliament.
But stiff resistance in Assam and other northeastern states by students’ organizations, indigenous groups, opposition Congress and also from BJP leaders dissuaded the central government from tabling the Bill in Rajya Sabha.
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Also read: AASU warns HM Amit Shah over Citizenship Bill
NESO is a conglomeration of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF), All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Garo Students’ Union (GSU), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) and Naga Students’ Federation (NSF).
The NESO took the decision to intensify its movement against the CAB during its executive council meeting in Guwahati on Thursday.
Also read: Northeast: NESO raps BJP for inclusion of CAB in Lok Sabha poll manifesto
NESO chairman Samuel B. Jyrwa stated, “Besides organizing protests and demonstrations, the organization will also submit a memorandum expressing its opposition on the draconian Bill to the Prime Minister and Home Minister of India through the governors of the respective northeastern states.”
The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis or Christians, who migrated from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The NESO also discussed the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
It said “although the Centre has mooted its implementation on a national scale, the organization is still of the opinion that NRC like exercises should be executed state-wise taking into consideration the modalities suitable to the conspicuous aspects of the states.”
The proposed ‘National Education Policy’ was also discussed during Thursday’s meeting by the organization wherein it opined that certain sections of the policy were ill-favored towards the region.
“The organization strongly resents the emphasis given to Hindi language and the belittling of English,” Jyrwa said.
He added that an approach for prioritizing local indigenous languages would be a favourable factor for the northeastern region.
The NESO reiterated its demand for implementation of inner line permit (ILP) in all the NE states, separate economic and employment policies and establishment of more universities.
It also demanded coaching and management institutions and 100 per cent job reservation in the group C and D category jobs for the indigenous inhabitants, particularly in the Central government sectors located in the region.
Withdrawal of military and paramilitary forces from the educational institutions of Manipur and elsewhere in the region was one of the other demands.
The proposed merging of NEEPCO with NHPC and the government’s plan to sell out the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) to private parties were also discussed in the meeting.
In this context, the NESO decided to send separate memorandums to the power and petroleum ministries.