CAB 2016 racist, says NIPP
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 13 2019: Ningthouja Lancha, coordinator of Northeast Indigenous Political Parliament (NIPP) has alleged that the passing of the Citizen Amendment Bill 2016 in the Lok Sabha, clearly shows the racist mindset of the Central Government towards the people of the North East region as well as its favour for people of neighbouring countries over citizens of the North East.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club today, Ningthouja Lancha said that among the seven North East States, Tripura and Assam have been worst affected by the influx of illegal migrants from other countries.

In the case of Tripura, only 11 percent of the State's population is made up of indigenous people, as the State has been overrun by illegal migrants.

As listed in the recently published NRC of Assam, more than 40 lakhs illegal migrants were detected in the first phase alone.

He continued that if the CAB is passed in the Rajya Sabha and becomes an Act, then there will be no meaning or purpose of the Manipur People's Protection Bill 2018 which was passed by the State Assembly, as the Bill (CAB) will allow illegal migrants who have settled in any part of the country for 6 years, to become citizens of India.

Ningthouja Lancha then asked what will be the future of the indigenous people of the North East, who are being outnumbered day by day despite having their laws of their own States for protection, and expressed the need for indigenous people to work collectively so as to ensure their survival.

In the Parliament, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had clearly stated that the Bill will not only be confined in Assam and that the migrants residing in any part of the country will be given citizenship if they possess valid documents, he said adding that the act of the Central Government in giving more importance to the outsiders clearly shows its racist mindset towards the people of the entire North East.

The Government has no feeling for the people of the region and they only want the land and resources of the region, he alleged.

Ningthouja Lancha then warned that if the Bill is passed forcefully and turned into an Act, then NIPP will not remain silent and might raise demand for a separate political autonomy of the entire North East.

On the other hand, Wangkhem Saratchandra, convenor of NIPP, strongly condemned and opposed the Bill and appealed the Government to reconsider and withdraw the CAB at the earliest.

He explained that if the CAB is turned into an Act, illegal migrants will flood the entire North East region and outnumber the indigenous people thus threatening the existence, culture and identity of the indigenous people.

The CAB violates and contradicts the NRC carried out in Assam under the directive of the Supreme Court, he added.

Bikram Hansea, co-convener of Assam Sector NIPP, said that the passing of CAB is a matter of grave concern for the entire North East and shows that the Government has no respect for the people.

If the Bill becomes an Act, it will first affect Assam as the State is a gateway to the entire North East, he added.

NESO, AASU and other 30 CSOs of Assam have come together condemning and opposing the said Bill.

If the Bill becomes an Act, more than 272 dialects, cultures, identities of the entire North East, will be destroyed, he added.

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