Student bodies, Meira Paibis continue to protest CAB 2016
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 14 2019: A large number of people belonging to various localities of Wangoi Assembly Constituency, including representatives of different communities have strongly condemned the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 during a sit-in-protest cum public meeting held today at the community hall of Wangoi Bazar, Imphal West.

They also demanded withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016.The sit-in-protest cum public meeting was jointly organized by local clubs and Meira Paibis of Wangoi, Thiyam, Leishangkhong, Khaidem, Leiphrakpam and Oinam Sawombung under the aegis of AMSU, DESAM, MSF, KSA, SUK and AIMS.

The communities which participated at the sit-in-protest included Meitei, Meitei-Pangal and Kabui.

Speaking at the sit-in-protest cum public meeting, HERICOUN president Longjam Ratan pointed out that there was a drastic decline in the ratio of the indigenous people against the non-local population in the State after the State was merged into the Indian Union.

He went on to state that the indigenous people of the State also bear the brunt of diluting their own ethnicities, identities, culture and other values.

Once the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 is passed in the Rajya Sabha and enforced in the State and the North East, the impacts of influx of migrants will be aggravated to the greatest extent.

By that time, all the indigenous people would be robbed of their political and socio-economic rights, he said.

Observing that indigenous communities in the State must collectively oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and fight tooth and nail until the Bill is withdrawn, Ratan also opined that exerting strong pressure on all the MLAs to publicly oppose the Bill and fight from their capacities to withdraw the same Bill will be quite beneficial in fighting against the Bill.

North East Indigenous People Parliament (NIPP) Coordinator Ningthouja Lancha asserted that it is high time for all the people of the State and North East to strongly oppose and react against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 while contending that the same Bill will be ultimately passed in the Rajya Sabha if the people remain silent.

Lancha who is also a cultural activist further opined that there is an urgent need for sensitizing the people about the Bill and the disastrous impacts it would bring about in the State and the whole North East.

MSF president Ngariyanbam Milan alleged that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 was passed recently in the Lok Sabha to eliminate the indigenous people of the North East, including Manipur.

The passage of the Bill is an insult to the people of the North East Region, he asserted and demanded the State Government to publicly declare its stance regarding the Bill at the earliest.

The MSF president also conveyed that the six students' organizations which organized the sit-in-protest cum public meeting will continue to organize protest demonstration and public meeting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Eastern Students' Club, Nongmeibung and Nongmeibung Apunba Women's Development Meira Paibi Association jointly organized a sit-in-protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 at Nongmeibung Bazar under the aegis of JCILPS today.

Kongba Bazar Board Committee too organized another sit-in-protest against the same Bill under the aegis of JCILPS at Kongba Bazar today.

The protesters raised several demands including withdrawal of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 and President's assent to the Manipur People's Protection Bill 2018.They also condemned the alleged communal policy of Government of India.

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