Assam: Koch-Rajbongshis threaten to "destabilize" Government if CAB is Passed

Guwahati, December 6, 2019:

The Koch-Rajbongshi community of Assam has threatened to "paralyze" the Assam state Government, if the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is not withdrawn at the earliest.

Koch Rajbongshi National Convention General Secretary Biswajit Ray on Thursday said that members of the organization would "destabilise" the functioning of the Assam state government if the Bill is not scrapped at the earliest.

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Ray further assured that the Koch-Rajbongshi community will extend full cooperation to all the organisations of the state who are protesting against the contentious Bill. The Koch-Rajbongshi leader also assured that the community will also join the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) agitation against the Bill.

The leader also stated that if the Bill is passed, the community is prepared to lock all government offices, starting from the block level to the offices of the deputy commissioners. He also alleged that the BJP Government has "betrayed" the tribal people of the state, and never had the intention to give ST status to the six indigenous communities of the State: Koch Rajbongshis, Tai Ahom, Sootea, Moran, Muttock and tea tribes of Assam.

It may be mentioned here that many student bodies and indigenous organizations across the Northeast are constantly staging protests against the proposed Bill, which seeks to give citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from neighboring countries on the grounds of “religious persecution.”

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