Assam: 70 organisations protest against Citizenship Amendment Bill

As many as 70 organisations including Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), protested against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, here on Wednesday.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8.

It will facilitate citizenship of six identified minority communities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who came to India before 31 December 2014.

The proposed amendment in the Bill will make these persecuted migrants eligible to apply for citizenship. Under the proposed amendment, the minimum residency period for citizenship is being reduced from the existing 12 years under the present law to seven years. However, citizenship will be given to them only after due scrutiny and recommendation of district authorities and the state government.

"We are not in favour of this bill. Thousands of people from all over Assam have come here today to tell the government that we don't want this bill to be passed," a protester said.

Another one added, "This bill will create problems for us. It will create tensions in Assam. Assam's peace will be at stake if this bill is passed.