NEW DELHI – Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader Akhil Gogoi Sunday said ifproper respect is not shown to the Assamese people and the CitizenshipAmendment Bill is passed, then “we must have the courage to tell thegovernment that we may consider not staying with India”.
Addressing a protest rally against the proposed legislation at Panitola inAssam’s Tinsukia district, Gogoi said, “If the government gives us therespect we deserve, we are with the nation but if the sentiments of theindigenous Assamese are ignored and the bill is passed, then each Assamesemust have the courage to say that they will not be a part of India.”
The proposed legislation seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslimsfrom Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and many parties andorganisations have claimed that it will have an adverse impact on thedemography of the sensitive border state.
They said the provisions of the bill will nullify the 1985 Assam Accord,which provides for deportation of all illegal migrants, irrespective ofreligion, who had entered the state after March 1971.
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Gogoi, who has been spearheading the agitation by 70 organisations againstthe bill, said, “We want to make it clear that if the need and situationarises, Assam must be able to say that they are prepared not to stay withIndia …if the government respects us, we will stay with India or we willquit.”
Several organisations in Mizoram had boycotted the Republic Daycelebrations in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill. – PTI
