ANSAM backs NESO's bandh call

Newmai News Network
SENAPATI, Dec 8 : All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) has resolved to "fully" endorse the 11-hour North East bandh on December 10, from 5 am to 4 pm, to protest the Central Government’s move to provide "Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees" coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, called by the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO).
"We stand against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) on the ground that the Bill is against the interest of the indigenous people of the North East region,” ANSAM echoed NESO while adding, “The Central Government should understand that the indigenous people of the North East are minority on all fronts – ethnically, linguistically and religiously.”
ANSAM stated that it supports the stand of the NESO that the Centre should implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) System in all the States of the North East.
"The bandh has been called jointly by all student organisations of Assam, Arunachal, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura. We warn of resorting 'even to the extreme end' unless the Citizenship Amendment Bill is withdrawn by the Government and demand immediate deportation of all the illegal immigrants from the North East," the Naga student body warned.
It added that this "controversial bill" is a dangerous piece of anti-indigenous and anti-minority legislation. The Naga student body "unequivocally" urged the Government of India for immediate withdrawal of the said Bill.
ANSAM termed the Bill as a politically motivated conception to sponsor ethnic-cleansing of the North East by facilitating humanitarian invasion of illegal immigrants.
"The Bill will open up another floodgate for influx of illegal migration from the neighbouring countries and consequently, the Bill is a threat to the cultural and linguistic identity of the indigenous peoples of the North East," the Naga student body said. It added the Bill will render the North East indigenous communities, minorities in their "own homeland".
According to the ANSAM, the Bill "attempts" to legalise illegal immigration based on religion and the whole burden of the Bill once passed would squarely fall on the North East alone. "North East region is not a dumping ground of illegal immigrants. Rather than addressing the already explosive situation in the North East caused by the illegal immigrants, the Union of India is attempting to promote illegal immigration," it added.