Page 46 - June2018

Thousands join mass

hunger strike in Assam

against Citizenship Bill

Extradition of illegal migrants in Assam shouldn’t be limited to Bengali-speaking Muslims
from Bangladesh, but non-Muslims as well if the Centre and state government plan to amend
the Citizenship Bill. Locals predict 1985 agitation-like situation if the government ignores
their demands, writes nava thakuria
ssam, if not Barak valley,
is otherwise burning over
the debate of Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill, 2016.
A If one follows the media
reports can believe that the Brahma-
putra valley has been witnessing an
uproarious situation for past few weeks
now. Other states of the northeast
region have also started experienc-
ing the heat of the pertinent debate on
Citizenship Bill. Few observers com-
pare the situation to the days of Assam
agitation, which culminated in 1985
with an accord signed by the agita-
tors and the Union government in
New Delhi.
Millions of participants in the
six-year-long agitation wanted to
deport all illegal migrants (Bangladeshi
nationals) from Assam, but, the lead-
ers agreed in the accord to accept the
migrants till 25 March, 1971. The agita-
tion led by All Assam Student’s Union
(AASU), witnessed the sacrifices of
over 850 martyrs and thousands of
others who all wanted to deport the
illegal migrants with the national
cutoff year (1951). However, the accord
only agreed to identify people who
had entered Assam after 25 March,
1971, as illegal foreigners. Need to be
mentioned that the accord was never
placed in the Parliament for endorse-
ment. After more than three decades
of the signing of the accord, the peo-

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