NEW DELHI, June 25 - Expressing solidarity with the resistance to the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, NDFB chairman Ranjan Daimary today said that they have conveyed their decision to oppose the Bill to the Centre.
Daimary, who is in the national capital to participate in the first ever joint discussion of the NDFB(P) with the Centre�s interlocutor AB Mathur here today, formally submitted their demands to the Union government. The talks were also joined by Assam Special DG Pallab Bhattacharyya and senior officials of the Union Home Ministry.
�We have been opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill because when it is passed, it will legalise the illegal migrants threatening our identity. We have been fighting these illegal migrants... We have to fight them,� Daimary said. He, however, added that it is not part of their demands forwarded to the government.
About the NRC update process, he expressed the opinion that it is nothing but an exercise undertaken to provide legal documents to illegal migrants. �It has nothing to do with indigenous people,� he said.
�After several years, we have sat together in peace talks for the first time and talks were held in a very congenial atmosphere... we can say that it was a historic dialogue. And we hope that this meeting will add a new impetus to the peace process. We are hoping for an early solution,� the NDFB chairman said.
Replying to a question, Daimary said that the NDFB(S) faction is also not against the peace process. �They are ready to join hands with us but it depends on the progress of the peace process,� he added.
�We have submitted an 18-point memorandum. We have discussed point by point all the demands. Our main demand is separate statehood where we can live with dignity and honour, and where we can decide our political destiny,� he said. �We are expecting an early solution before the 2019 elections,� he added.
NDFB(P) general secretary Govinda Basumatary said the outfit has been continuing its discussion with the government for the past few years. �We have had held 27 rounds of discussion with the previous interlocutor PC Haldar. However, there was a gap of three years,� he said.
