ITANAGAR, Dec 13 - Members of the Rajiv Gandhi University Students� Union and Students� Union of NERIST, Nirjuli, today carried out a peaceful protest rally before staging a sit-in demonstration near the Raj Bhavan here in protest against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), 2019, which has now become an Act following its passage in the Parliament and the President's assent to it.
The students� bodies took out the rally from the RGU campus on the Rono Hills (Doimukh), about 24 km from the State capital, and marched towards the Raj Bhavan here. They were, however, stopped by security personnel, around 200 metres from the Raj Bhavan following which the students staged the sit-in demonstration.
The protesters holding placards and banners chanted slogans against the ruling dispensation for the passage of the CAB in both Houses of the Parliament.
Later, leaders of both the student unions submitted a memorandum, addressed to the Government of India, to the State Governor, demanding unconditional removal of the Act from the entire North East region. The memorandum was received by officials of the Governor�s office.
�With utmost grief and sorrow, we are informing to let you know that the entire North-East is resenting to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill following the passing of the bill in both the Houses of Parliament. The entire NE is burning�. The Government has been keeping a blind eye to all the happenings in Assam and entire North-East,� reads the memorandum.
�We the student community of RGU, NERIST as a whole demand the complete removal of the Bill. This is a demand of the student community for the betterment of the socio-economic status of the NE region and also for maintaining the harmony and ethnicity of the indigenous people of the North-Eastern part of the country,� it added.
�Today, we took to the streets thinking about our future as the CAB would affect our indigenous people in the coming days. Our demand is that we do not want the CAB,� said a protesting student.
