MANPAC to carry on anti-CAB movement
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 16 2019:
The MANPAC held a review meeting on the people's civil movement against CAB 2016 so far and it resolved to carry on the same movement together with an extensive awareness campaign on the possible adverse impacts of CAB 2016 in case it becomes an Act.
A review meeting on the anti-CAB movement in Manipur and the North East was held today at Lamyanba Shanglen under the aegis of MANPAC.
The meeting noted that the Central Government may still pass the CAB 2016 or it may be promulgated as an Ordinance.
As such, the meeting resolved to carry on the anti-CAB movement.
The first resolution also mentioned about organising extensive awareness programmes on the disastrous impacts of CAB 2016 at different localities in association with local authorities, community leaders, tribe councils and apex bodies.
The second resolution talks about creating a common platform for all the indigenous peoples of the North East region to fight collectively all racist policies of the Government of India and bring together all anti-CAB movements into one common movement.
It also resolved to urge the State and the Central Governments to update the National Register of Citizens in order to identify immigrants in the State.
The meeting further resolved that the Passport (Entry into India) Amendment Rules 2015 and the Foreigner (Amendment) Order 2015 should be annulled.
These two notifications issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on December 7, 2015 seek to facilitate granting of citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who had entered India on or before December 31, 2014, mentioned the last resolution.
The review meeting was jointly presided by MANPAC convenor Yumnamcha Dilipkumar, co-convenor Amu Kamei, Kuki Women Union advisor Rose Mangshi Haokip, MMWO advisor Islam Makakcha and Kom Union general secretary T Achang Kom.
Dilipkumar said that there is no reason for complacency or jubilation just because CAB 2016 was not tabled in the Rajya Sabha although it gave some reprieve to the people.
The Central Government is unlikely to shed its attitude of discriminating the people of the North East any time soon.
"We must be wary of the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister's statements that they would discuss the CAB 2016 with the Chief Ministers of North Eastern States", he cautioned.
The Government took recourse to different measures including counter propaganda to jeopardise and disorient the mass movement against CAB 2016.At first, Chief Minister N Biren announced that the Bill would not harm Manipur in any manner and the State machinery were used extensively to project the Chief Minister's claim as truth.
Subsequently, the Chief Minister made several statements on CAB 2016 but he never talked about withdrawing the Bill or the need for it.
Apart from imposing curfew and ban on internet data service, the State Government banned local TV channels from telecasting news items about the anti-CAB movement, Dilipkumar pointed out.
MANPAC needs to chalk out an effective mechanism to neutralise such counter propaganda of the State, he added.
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