Hundreds of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) activists took to the streets of Guwahati on November 18th, 2019 to protest against the central government’s proposal to reintroduce the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Winter Session of the Parliament.
The Winter Session of Parliament, which started on November 18th, 2019, is likely to witness heated discussions as the Opposition looks to raise issues of job crisis, economic slowdown, the lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir and the contentious Bill.
“People across the state and Northeast must unite against the Bill. The bill is a big threat to the culture, language and identity of the Assamese people. We will fight till the last drop of our blood against the Bill,” KMSS publicity secretary Dhorjya Konwar said.
The Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to the people belonging to the Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis who have become the victims of religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and entered India on or before December 31st, 2014.
Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured that a special clause will be incorporated in the Bill so that states like Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh is not affected by the settlement of people from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who are granted Indian citizenship. Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also reiterated that Assam will not be affected due to the Bill.
Photo: @jyotishpawanbordoloi
