MIZORAM GOVERMENT STRONGLY OPPOSES THE CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT BILL

The Mizoram Assembly made official declaration to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 with the consent of all the political parties, students’ organizations, major civil societies of the state. The declaration moved by Home Minister R. Lalzirliana states that if the Bill gets enacted, it will be harmful as large number of illegal Buddhist migrants from Bangladesh is residing in the state. Lalzirliana also mentions if the Bill that seeks to make illegal immigrants eligible for Indian Citizenship on the basis of religion is against secularism and “amounted on the patronage for some religion”. Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had been informed earlier about the objection of the Bill by the State.

The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 15, 2016, seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to provide citizenship to illegal migrants, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who are of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian extraction.

The Government along with all political parties, that includes the state BJP unit and the NGOs strongly opposed the amendment of the Bill saying it will legalise thousands of Buddhists ( Chakmas) who have illegally entered the State from Bangladesh.