GUWAHATI, March 20 � A meeting of the voluntary organization Save Guwahati Build Guwahati (SGBG) held here recently called for urgent steps to provide constitutional safeguard to the indigenous people of Assam. It also called for strict adherence to the norms set by the Constituent Assembly of the country on the issue of granting citizenship.
In a statement here, the voluntary organization has said that as per the provisions of the Constitution of India, only two dates are there for granting Indian citizenship to any individual.
The Constitution has laid down two cut-off dates � July 19, 1948 and July 26, 1949 � for granting citizenship. The first date is meant for granting citizenship to an individual without application and second date is meant for granting citizenship to a person following his/her application for the purpose, said SGBG.
The above dates are clearly stated under Article 6 of the Indian Constitution and so far this Article has remained unchanged. The Constitution has also made it clear that any law, which takes away the fundamental rights conferred on the citizens by the Constitution, is void, said the voluntary organization.
The meeting chaired by SGBG president Dhiren Barua, was also attended by several leading citizens of the city including Dhirendranath Bezboruah, Pachugopal Baruah, Dhirendranath Chakravorty, Ajay Dutta, Upen Sarma, Rabin Dutta, KK Baruah, Ramniranjan Goenka, among others, said a press release.
The SGBG in a separate press release has thanked the Government for introducing a Bill in the State Assembly to protect Bondajan and Panikhaiti wetlands.
