AASM files PIL against citizenship to minorities

GUWAHATI: Asom Andolan Sangrami Manch (AASM), a platform of the participants of the Assam Movement (1979-1985), has filed public interest litigation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Gauhati High Court. Joint Parliamentary Committee of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are also seeking public suggestions on the Bill.

Former chief minister and leader of the AASM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said, “We expressed before the committee that Assam is not a dustbin where minorities from Bangladesh can be dumped.

Giving citizenship to these minorities is a threat to language, culture and demography of indigenous people.”

AASM will soon meet leaders of different political parties and will apprise them of the consequences of the bill. Former parliamentarian Kumar Deepak Das said, “We will meet leaders of regional party, including Trinamool Congress, DMK and AIDMK.”

Mahanta added that the bill violates the Assam Accord, which provided for detection and deportation of all the foreigners who entered Assam after the midnight of March 24, 1971.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, as introduced in the Lok Sabha, has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee of both the Houses, under the chairmanship of Dr Satyapal Singh for examination and presenting a report to the Parliament.

The Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Home Minister proposes to make minority communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for applying for Indian citizenship.

All Assam Students Union has called for a massive agitation against the Centre’s move to amend the Act. AASU also claims that the amendment to the Act will affect the implementation of the Assam accord of 1985, which is one of the key promises of the BJPled government in the state.