Movement against Citizenship Bill intensifies in Manipur; student organisations observe 'black day'

Imphal: Movement against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 intensified in Manipur on Saturday. A protest rally was jointly organised at Kwakeithel Akham Leikai in Manipur’s Imphal West district by several Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) like All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO), Irawat Foundation, COHR, Poirei Leimarol Network and AMOVA and others in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill. [caption id=“attachment_5885521” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Student groups in Manipur and Assam on Saturday staged protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill. PTI[/caption] AMUCO president Ph Devan said that the bill will uproot the existence of indigenous people of the Northeastern region of India. He further appealed the CSOs and political parties to come together to fight against the bill. Six student organisations — All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Democratic Students’ Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), Manipur Students’ Federation (MSF), Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA), Students’ Union of Kangleipak (SUK) and Socialist Students’ Union of Manipur observed “Black Day” on Saturday at various places. Another protest rally against the bill was also held at Wangoo area in Manipur’s Bishnupur district. Workers of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Manipur state and Manipur Pradesh Youth Congress Committee staged a protest demonstration against the bill at the heart of Imphal city, and they also submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Manipur, Najma Heptulha. The bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, who fled religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and entered India before 31 December, 2014. The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), a conglomerate of students’ bodies of the region, also observed “Black Day” in neighbouring Assam to protest firing in Tripura during the bandh against the Bill on Tuesday.