Northeast not dumping ground of illegal migrants, say NE students

The North East Students Organisation (NESO) on Tuesday strongly opposed the central government's attempt to recognise Hindu Bangladeshis as Indian citizens.

The apex student's body of all the indigenous communities in the region passed a resolution in this regard at its emergency meeting on Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 and said that they would oppose the move tooth and nail.

"The government of India should know and understand that the Northeast is not a dumping ground of illegal migrants, whoever they may be -- Hindus or Muslims," NESO Chairman Samuel Jyrwa said.

"The northeastern region will not take the burden of illegal foreigners, who came after 1971, as per the Assam Accord," he added.

The Asom Gana Parishad, which is an ally of the BJP in the Sarbananda Sonowal-led government in Assam, has also opposed the proposed bill.

The bill for making minority communities, such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for applying for Indian citizenship was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee of both Houses of Parliament, under the chairmanship of Dr Satyapal Singh, for examination and presenting a report in this regard.

On the prevailing law and order situation in poll-bound Manipur, Jyrwa said the student's body is seriously concerned with the suffering of the common people due to the prevailing situation in Manipur in view of the ongoing economic blockade.

"The government of India should not shirk its responsibility and NESO demands that it intervene and take the initiative to solve the issue and to bring all the parties involved to the negotiation table so that the issue can be resolved amicably," he said.

Jyrwa said the NESO members will meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and also Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju to impress upon them to resolve this issue at the earliest.