NEFIS condemns
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 15 2019: North-East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) has strongly condemned the BJP Government's communal intent and stirring up a controversy over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

A press release issued by Chinglen Khumukcham, member of the convening committee of NEFIS today stated that it should be noted that the CAB permits the minorities of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan to become citizens of India.

However, communal angle is distinctly evident from the fact that the minorities from only three countries have been given space in the current Bill, while the minorities from other neighbouring countries have been kept out of the scope of the Bill, it explained.

The proposed Bill is premised on the religious persecution of non-Muslim minorities in neighbouring Muslim majority countries, and deliberately eludes the question of providing asylum to persecuted minorities of other countries, it added.

NEFIS continued that it should be recalled that the minorities in Sri Lanka and Myanmar have faced persecution in the recent past.

Exhibiting its entirely communal stance, the BJP Government has refused to even grant asylum to the Rohingyas because it sees them as unwanted illegal immigrants, NEFIS alleged adding that the Rohingya people of Myanmar have been victims of State-sponsored genocide.

To escape the persecution, the community had to migrate to neighbouring India and Bangladesh, but the BJP Government sought to drive the Rohingyas back to Myanmar.

NEFIS condemned the Citizenship Amendment Bill alleging that it was conceived with communal intent.

It continued that NEFIS is of the opinion that in order to allay the apprehensions of the various States, especially the North East States where the persecuted immigrants from neighbouring countries have sought asylum, the Government should bring in a quota system to distribute them (immigrants) to different States across the country.

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