Dimapur, July 14 (MExN): A North East Coordination Committee has been constituted to protest the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which the Bharatiya Janata Party led National Democratic Alliance government in the Indian Union is pushing for in the centre. This was decided at a North Eastern States Conclave of Human Rights and Civil Society Organisations that met at Hotel Saramati here today to critically deliberate and appreciate the “contents and intent” of the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. This was informed in a press release from Neingulo Krome, Secretary General of the Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights. The Conclave adopted a few resolutions, significant of which is the constitution of a North East Coordination Committee against the Bill with selected members who will coordinate matters on the issue. Assam will be coordinated by Anup Chetia and Lachit Bordoloi, Twipra by Patal Kanya Jamatia and Nandalal Jamatia, Arunachal Pradesh by Tage Lapung and Tadar Tarish, Manipur by Longjam Ratankumar and Bishanjit Loitongbam and Nagaland by Neingulo Krome and N Venuh. Other resolutions adopted were: To have a united stand and action at all fronts that threaten our people hood, our land and our future; To submit Memorandum to President of India and the Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016; To organize a sustained movement and hold simultaneous demonstration in all the sister states’ capitals of the North East India against the proposed bill to prevent it from enactment in the Parliament; To jointly hold demonstration in Delhi. The Conclave aimed to understand the “threats by the proposed Bill to our very existence as indigenous peoples to our very survival, our land and our future.” Participants remained “Resolute that such communal, anti-constitutional and anti-indigenous peoples bill must not be allowed to be imposed upon North East India much against peoples’ will.”
