Meghalaya: NESO petitions Supreme Court to halt implementation of CAA

The North East Students’ Organization (NESO) has taken a significant step in its ongoing battle against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) by filing a petition before the Supreme Court of India. The petition seeks to stall the implementation of the Rules of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, citing concerns over its potential adverse effects on the North Eastern region of the country.

NESO Chairman, Samuel Jyrwa, announced the move in a statement from Delhi, emphasizing the organization's commitment to safeguarding the interests of the indigenous communities in the North East. Jyrwa stated, "(We have) filed a petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the Rules of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 with a submission to the Supreme Court to issue a stay on its implementation."

This latest legal action follows a previous petition filed by NESO in the Supreme Court on December 19, 2019, opposing the CAA, 2019. Despite certain exemptions provided in the Act for states under the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime and Sixth Scheduled areas, NESO contends that the Act's application in the 27 districts of Assam poses a serious threat to the North Eastern states.

Jyrwa highlighted the vulnerability of the indigenous communities in the North East, already grappling with the influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh. "To protect the microscopic indigenous communities of NE which are already affected by unabated influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh," Jyrwa emphasized the imperative of halting the implementation of CAA, 2019.