Protests go on, student bodies meet CM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 17 2019: Mass sit-in-protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 continued today too at many localities under the aegis of JCILPS and six student organizations namely; AMSU, DESAM, MSF, KSA, SUK and AIMS.

On the other hand, representatives of MSF, AMSU, KSA, DESAM, SUK and AIMS held a meeting with Chief Minister this evening on the contentious CAB 2016 .

While conveying Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's assurance to protect the cultural and linguistic identity of the people of North East region, N Biren maintained that people need not be uncannily wary about the CAB 2016.Nonetheless, the State Government has been urging the Central Government to insert a clause whereby Manipur would be exempted from the purview of the Bill, Biren added.

However, the student leaders lamented that the State Government has not adopted any satisfactory position regarding the issue till date.

They also questioned the inability of the State BJP leaders to take any bold decision regarding the issue while their counterparts of other North Eastern States have laid down their positions boldly and in unambiguous terms.

The meeting was attended by MSF president Ng Milan, AMSU president Manjit Sarangthem, KSA vice-president Bidyananda, DESAM president Akash, SUK president Govind and AIMS advisor Abothe.

Moirang Hanuba Youth Development Club (MYDC), Moirang Hanuba Nupi Chaokhat Khongthang Marup and Moirang Hanuba Semgat Sagatpa Committee jointly organized a sit-in-protest at Moirang Hanuba Keithel Shang while Khwai Lamphel Women United Development Organization, Thangmeiband organized another sit-in-protest at Lamphel Sanakeithel.

Womenfolk of Chingmeirong Mamang Leikai and Chingmeirong Maning Leikai too staged a sit-in near the community hall of Chingmeirong Mamang Leikai under the aegis of JCILPS today.

The protesters raised several demands during the protest, including withdrawal of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 and President's assent to the Manipur People Bill 2018.Several placards which read as "Government of India's effort to enforce CAB is to eliminate indigenous people of North East", "State Government should take the main responsibility of protecting the indigenous people of the State" and "We support NESO, AMSU, DESAM, MSF, KSA, SUK and AIMS's movement".

Speaking to media persons on the protest site at Chingmeirong, Nupi Samaj executive member W Usha Leima asserted that the sit-in-protest was organized in consideration of the need to show to the Centre and the State Government that the indigenous people of the State are opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016.She further contended that it is high time for all to understand the perilous impacts of the contentious Bill and struggle collectively against the same Bill.

Decrying the State Government's lackadaisical attitude towards protecting the indigenous people of the State, Usha further opined that the Centre will pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 if the Ministers, MLAs and political leaders in the State and North East do not come out strongly against the Bill.

She added that the whole North East Region would be turned into a dumping ground for refugees and immigrants and all rights, including political rights of the indigenous people would be usurped by immigrant population once the Bill is passed in Rajya Sabha and enforced in the country.

Comment