KOHIMA, Sep 26: An apex body of indigenous people of the seven northeastern states has denounced the statement of union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma that the citizenship amendment bill (CAB) will be reintroduced in Parliament in November, sources in it said on Thursday.
The central executive council meeting of the North East Forum of Indigenous People (NEFIP) held on Wednesday unanimously resolved to a launch a movement against the CAB in the region, beginning with a public protest on 3 October, demanding immediate withdrawal of the bill, NEFIP secretary-general Robertjune Kharjahrin told newsmen here.
Representatives of all northeastern states, barring Sikkim, participated in the meeting, which passed a seven-point resolution to protect the rights of the indigenous people of the region.
The CAB, 2019, provides for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the current norm, even if they do not possess any document.
The legislation was passed by the Lok Sabha during its winter session on 8 January but could not be cleared by the Rajya Sabha.
The meeting also resolved to oppose the appeal by Shah to use Hindi as a common language in the country.
Kharjahrin said the meeting agreed not to accept any attempt made by the central or state governments of the region to impose any language on the indigenous people.
The body demanded that the assemblies of the NE states adopt a resolution urging the Centre to take steps to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the region, he added. (PTI)
