DIMAPUR, Oct 3 - The Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal Immigration (JCPI) and the North East Forum for Indigenous People (NEFIP) took out a protest march against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, in Kohima today. The march was part of the regional protest against the Bill as per the decision of the first meeting of the NEFIP central executive council held in Kohima recently.
The rally wended through the Badminton Stadium, Raj Bhavan Road and Kohima before culminating at the official residence of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
The protesters submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, urging him to pressurise the leadership at the Centre to withdraw the contentious Bill in the interest of peace and harmony in the North East and in deference to the sentiments of the people in the region in general and Nagaland in particular.
The memorandum referred to a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 9 to bring the issue raised in it to the Chief Minister�s notice.
Stating that the Bill continues to hang over as a Damocles� sword on all the indigenous people of the North East region, the memorandum requested the Chief Minister that the confidence reposed in him may not be infringed on and the will of the people of the State may be fully endorsed and met with on the issue.
�Violence had erupted on this issue in the region a number of times and as responsible citizens, we do not want violence to happen again,� it said.
The two organisations also made an appeal to the Nagaland Chief Minister to keep them informed about any action initiated by him in this regard so that the people and the elected leaders can go ahead side by side on the issue.
