Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to the Northeast region comes at a time when the whole region is simmering with anger over the citizenship amendment bill (CAB). This bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha, and the government is making every effort to pass it in the Rajya Sabha as well. The move of the Modi government to pass the bill in the Lok Sabha has angered the people of the region. Modi, who arrived in Guwahati on Friday evening, was given a hostile reception with protestors showing black flags to him on the road. In Arunachal Pradesh, too, several organizations, including the Congress party and student unions, have announced to boycott his visit. In fact, the whole state is on edge.
The CAB has become a huge issue for the NE states. This bill will make it easier for Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Christian refugees coming from countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to acquire Indian citizenship. Massive numbers of Hindu and Buddhist refugees from Bangladesh have been settled in states like Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. If all of these people are given citizenship, the very existence of the indigenous peoples will be threatened. In Arunachal, large numbers of Chakma and Hajong refugees, who originally hail from Bangladesh, are living in districts like Lohit, Namsai, Changlang and Papum Pare. Their numbers are growing with each passing year. In fact, in places like Diyun in Changlang district, they outnumber the indigenous people. It is unfortunate that even though the whole NE region is up in arms against the CAB, the BJP government at the centre is hell bent on passing this bill. This shows the government’s utter disregard towards the people of the region. The CAB issue has the potential to cause massive unrest in the Northeast region. Therefore, the central government should tread carefully.