Dear Editor,
The Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) amends the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship.
Firstly the timing of the bill is questionable, and the haste that the government has shown reeks of populism and an attempt to increase the vote base. But the big question is at what cost? Is the government willing to lose the confidence of the entire north east at the expense of few illegal immigrants. The entire North East is burning in rage, bandh calls have been made, black day has been observed but the government has turned a blind eye to all of this.
The bigger question is why the stakeholders i.e. the people of the region who will really be affected by the bill were never consulted and when consulted were given false assurances?
The major burnt will be shared by Assam and Arunachal. The Chakma Hajong case will get a constitutional basis. The entire indigenous demographic would be in peril.
The recent demand of PRC by the non APSTs will get further boost in turn again affecting the indigenous population.
The present state government is most probably the most powerful in recent times with the same party sharing power in the centre and the state and the state also having a Minister of State in the central ministry.
And still being aloof to the demands and the risk it poses to their own people is exasperating. A full majority government is good as long as it promotes economy and welfare, the day it goes towards populism it starts bordering on authoritarianism. In the present conditions, a coalition government sounds like music (the absolute sad state of affairs).
Sincerely,
Polo