GUWAHATI, Nov 16 - A discussion on the issue of proposed Citizenship Amendment Bill organised by �OKD Dialogue�, a monthly discussion forum of the OKD Institute of Social Change and Development on November 15 arrived at the conclusion that the Bill is contrary to the very essence of secularism of the Indian Constitution.
The Bill also endangers the legal validity of the Assam Accord, observed the participants of the discussion and they emphasized on an informed debate on the issue, said a press release here.
Gauhati High Court advocate Santanu Barthakur steered the discussion and highlighted how the proposed Bill goes against the very spirit of the Constitution.
During the course of the discussion, a historical evolution of citizenship Acts and debates were also referred to and shown how question of religion-based citizenship was rejected even by the Constituent Assembly.
The Dialogue also observed with amazement that the proposed amendment nowhere mentions religious persecution as the reason of granting citizenship, whereas in public perception, this has been projected as the sole objective.
Enactment of this bill would give a severe blow to the very ethos of Indian State as envisioned by the Constitution the gathering observed. For it observed that India has been envisioned as a secular state by its Constitution.
The legal validity of Assam Accord, endangered by this proposed amendment has also been discussed. The �Dialogue� which was attended by a host of scholars, advocates and students stressed upon generating an informed debate on the issue, the press release said.
