ASSAM: CLAUSE 6 OR CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT BILL 2016?

At a time when there is an unrest across the state regarding the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016, CM Sarbananda Sonwal's conversation with home minister Rajnath Singh has time and again put us in ambiguity. The home minster on 29th may assured of the preservation of Clause 6 of the historic Assam Accord. Here two parallel things are at work, Clause 6 claims for the deportation of illegal immigrants entering Assam after midnight of 24th March, 1971. The clause also states for constitutional safeguard for the people of Assam. Thus the provisions of the clause directly clashes with the Citizenship Amendment Bill forged by the Centre to admit citizenship to illegal immigrants entering on or before 31st December 2014. Such an assurance has raised queries among the citizens of Assam .

While talking to INSIDE NE, leader of opposition in the Assam Assembly Debabrata Saika clearly stated that such an assurance is nothing, but another deceptive trickery of the Centre to drag the people off the ground reality. When asked if they would accept the Citizenship Amendment Bill, if the preservation comes into being, he stated that Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 totally violates the Assam Accord and that they still stand for the repudiation of the bill.

When speaking to INSIDE NE, advisor of All Assam Student's Union Samujjal Bhattacharya took a strong stand against the bill. When asked if they would accept the bill, if the clause 6 of the Assam Accord gets executed, he stated" Clause 6 is unconditional committment on the part of the government because we have taken burden up-to 1971 and No, not all we will not accept the bill. We will not take any burden of illegal immigrant post 1971, be it Muslim of Hindu.

Speaking to Inside NE president of AGP and a member of Assam Cabinet, Atul Bora too stated for the scrapping of the bill. When asked if they would accept the citizenship Amendment Bill if clause 6 is granted he too had similar words. He stated" We want the clause 6 to be implemented but not at the cost of the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Clause 6 itself claims for granting of citizenship only to the people prior to 1971 and this clearly contradicts the Citizenship Amendment Bill. So, we will never accept the bill. "

Such double standards of Centre has once again created an enigma. It will be interesting to see whether it is aby genuine committment on part of the government or another gimmickry to hoodwink the mass to rib them off facts.