People gathered at a candlelight vigil organised by the Dimapur Naga Students Union in Dimapur on December 13 to extend solidarity to the north-eastern states affected by the amendment to the Citizenship Act. The DNSU termed the Parliamentary amendment as “unconstitutional.” Leaders of the Nagaland branch of the North East Forum for Indigenous People, Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal Immigrants and former NSF President K Temjen Jamir addressed the gathering.
Exemptions: Students appearing for exams, medical staff on duty, media personnel and wedding goers (provided wedding card is produced)
DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 13 (MExN): The Naga Students Federation (NSF) has declared a six hour total bandh on December 14 from 6:00am to 12:00 noon, expressing its resentment at the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill.
Students appearing for exams, medical staff on duty, media personnel and wedding goers (provided wedding card is produced) will be exempted from the bandh. It directed all federating units and subordinate bodies to take out measures to ensure that the bandh is carried out successfully in their respective jurisdictions.
A press release from NSF Vice President, Dievi Yano and General Secretary, Liremo R Kikon condemned the action of the Government of India for passing the bill “without taking into account the sentiments and plea of the indigenous inhabitants of the North East States.”
The NSF stated that it would “never support CAB which is the latest weapon of the Centre to divide the North-Eastern people on concessional lines.”
“The NSF does not believe in classification of illegal immigrants on religious lines as the NSF regards all illegal immigrants as criminals and must be treated accordingly. The Act has torn the very secular nature of the Constitution” the federation said.
It meanwhile also condemned the three Naga Members of Parliament—Tokheho Yepthomi (Lok Sabha) and KG Kenye (Rajya Sabha) from Nagaland; and Lorhe S Pfoze (Lok Sabha) from Manipur, “who spoke and voted in favour of the Bill when it was tabled in both the houses of the Parliament without considering the threat and the consequences which the Bill poses against the Indigenous inhabitants of the North Eastern states.”
The federation demanded that the three MPs publicly state the rationale behind their support for the Bill and also to explain to the public as to why the Act will not affect the people they represent.
Stating that the Act is “discriminatory, anti-indigenous, anti-minority,” it demanded that the entire North Eastern states should be left out from the purview of the Act.
It added that the federation would “spare no effort and together with the NESO, take necessary democratic and legal measures to ensure that the law does not take effect on even a small pocket in the entire North-East region.”
Meanwhile, in support of the NSF call, the Ao Students Conference (AKM) issued a press release stating that it would impose the six hour total bandh within its jurisdiction in Mokokchung.
The All Nagaland College Students Union (ANCSU) also issued a statement expressing resentment against the passage of the bill. The ANCSU stated that “although Nagaland comes under the ambit of Inner Line Permit, it in no way guarantees to safeguard the Nagas from the heinous CAB.”
“CAB intends to infringe upon the basic principle of the Indian Constitution,” it added and extended support to the NSF.
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