ITANAGAR, Dec 11 - Following the call from the North East Students� Organization (NESO), the All Arunachal Pradesh Students� Union (AAPSU) today observed a �Black Day� in protest against the passage of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019.
It was on this day last year that the Parliament passed the CAA despite strong opposition from the indigenous people of the North East.
Holding black flags and wearing black head bands and dresses, a large number of AAPSU activists, including members of its federal units, staged a symbolic protest against the CAA at the Indira Gandhi Park here this morning.
�This protest is against the BJP-led Government at the Centre as it had not listened to the voice of the indigenous people of the North East and had arbitrarily passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019,� AAPSU general secretary Tobom Dai said.
�Today�s protest is a message to the Central Government that even in a democratic set-up, it is not always about the ballot or the number of parliamentarians. Sometimes it is about the voice and genuine feelings of the common masses. Though it is an Act now, we are not giving up hope because in a democracy anything is possible,� the AAPSU leader added.
Hawa Bagang, president of the apex students� body of the State, said, �The CAA has been arbitrarily brought to accommodate foreigners. Though Arunachal Pradesh has been exempted from its purview, we have to fight for our future generations.
�If our big brother, Assam, is not happy, we cannot be happy. If Assam is happy, then the entire North East will be happy,� he said in reference to the illegal migrants issue being faced by the neighbouring State for decades.
NESO coordinator Pritam Bhai Sonam said, �This is not a new issue as we have been raising it since 2016. We are fighting for our existence. The NESO will continue fighting till the Parliament repeals this controversial law.�