GUWAHATI, Dec 6 - The North East Students� Organisation (NESO) has called for an 11-hour shutdown in the region on December 10 against the tabling of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Parliament.
However, Nagaland has been kept out of the shutdown call, due to the ongoing Hornbill Festival although the Nagaland Students� Federation will stage a demonstration in front of the Raj Bhawan on December 10.
The shutdown has been called from 5 am to 4 pm on December 10.
Addressing media-persons here this evening, NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa said that the Northeast stands united against the Centre�s decision to impose CAB, which will eventually reduce the indigenous people to minority. �The Government of India has been trying to look at the problems State-wise but the problem of the NE region cannot be addressed that way because if one part of the NE is affected by CAB, sooner or later, the other parts would also be affected. The NE region has to be looked as one entity,� Samuel asserted after all the constituent student bodies of the NESO sat for a meeting to chalk out its future course of action.
�Even with the exemptions on States having Inner Line Permit (ILP) and the Sixth Schedule areas of the region, we express our resentment against the Bill.
�The Centre is trying to adopt the divide-and-rule policy,� he said.
NESO adviser Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya said that the CAB is a protector of illegal Bangladeshis which also violates the historic Assam Accord.
�It is communal, anti-indigenous and pro Bangladeshis. Imposition of the CAB will not be accepted at any cost,� Dr Bhattacharyya said.
He went on to say that in India one cannot be granted citizenship on the basis of religion.
�We want to ask the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister that if the CAB is detrimental to the interest to the ILP covered States and Sixth Schedule areas , how can it be good for other parts of the country . This is sheer injustice which goes on to prove that the Centre does not think that there is a part of India beyond Kolkata,� he said.
�The BJP needs votes of illegal Bangladeshis but they must understand that North East is not a dumping ground. We therefore urge the people of the North-East to spontaneously observe the shutdown,� Dr Bhattacharya pointed out.
The NESO adviser also said that they are exploring the option of taking legal recourse once the CAB is passed. �The democratic movement will continue no matter what. Although we are not for bandh calls, the Central Government has left us with no other option,� Bhattacharya said.
�Yes, we want ILP for the entire region but at no cost are we ready to accept the burden of the illegal migrants coming to India post 1971,� he added.
