Speaking at a rally in Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that the Citizenship Bill is being used by people who ‘sit in AC rooms in Delhi’ to spread misinformation. He added that his government is intent on safeguarding the interests of the people of the northeast.
Referring to the Assam Accord, the Prime Minister accused the Opposition parties of being less than serious about its implementation. Stating that Clause 6 of the Assam Accord has remained unimplemented in the last 35 years since its inception, Modi called it the ‘soul’ of the Assam Accord. The clause suggests ‘constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social and linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people’.
The Prime Minister stated that it would benefit the whole country and address the issues of those who had had to ‘flee their homes and leave behind all they own’. Drawing a distinction between those who had to flee their homes due to religious persecution in the neighbouring countries and those who sought voluntary entry, Modi said that there was no room for ‘intruders’ in either Assam or the rest of India. He further added that those who have ‘lived and worked here’ for ‘decades’ would be granted Indian citizenship.
The controversial citizenship bill has come to face serious criticism from civil society and Opposition alike over its discriminatory approach in awarding Indian citizenship to minority communities. Though passed in Lok Sabha and soon to be tabled in Rajya Sabha, it faces charges of ‘religious discrimination’ as it seeks to hasten the process of securing citizenship only for non-Muslim minorities allege the opposition parties.
The bill establishes 24 March,1971 as the cut-off date for deciding bona fide Assamese residents and goes against the objective of the National Register of Citizens say the opposition parties. In the Northeast, the bill has been received with protests across many states. In Assam, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) parted ways with the BJP-led coalition government citing ideological differences over the citizenship bill. Other political parties like the National People’s Party (NPP) of Meghalaya and the Indigenous People’s Front (IPF) of Tripura have also voiced their discontent.
Activists have also protested against the bill in different parts of the Northeast. Black flags were raised by student bodies in Tripura to mark ‘Black Day’ on 12 January, 2019 to oppose its legislation and implementation. Even as demonstrations continue, Opposition parties allege that the citizenship bill is being used by the Centre to generate discord and play vote-bank politics before the Lok Sabha elections due in May.
