DIMAPUR, Feb 14 - The joint coordination committee of tribal hohos, civil organisations and indigenous groups of Nagaland today expressed happiness at the response to the February 11 Nagaland shutdown against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which �saved� the face of the State Government.
The State Government should be thankful to the organisations which spearheaded the agitation against the Bill for saving its face and the destiny and the future of the people of the North East, the media cell of the committee said in a release. Expressing �fullest appreciation� to the citizens of Nagaland for the peaceful Statewide shutdown, it said the people have �saved� the face of the State Government.
The committee said it does not want to take potshot at any entity, but as far as the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was concerned, mere appeals without the backing of street protests and agitations in the North Eastern region would have ensured the easy passage of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
Despite this �moral victory�, the committee, however, said it would continue to closely monitor the situation as �entrusted� and �mandated�.
The success of the bandh made it loud and clear to the North Eastern States and the Central Government that the Naga public were totally opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the committee said. It said the Central Government was unable to table the Bill on Tuesday and even on the last day of the Rajya Sabha Session yesterday.
�The harsh reality is that the Central Government had been adamant in its stand to pass the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, even brushing aside the strong opposition of its own governments in Assam and Manipur,� it said.
It was only due to protests and mobilisation of public support in Manipur, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, and after the spectre of revolt and secession in Assam and Mizoram had been raised, that the most controversial Bill in Independent India got stalled in the Rajya Sabha, the committee said.
It acknowledged the contribution of the Naga people during �this momentous occasion� and expressed appreciation for the district administrations and the police forces across the State �for respecting the sentiments of the people�.
