Citizenship Bill: All-Assam Students’ Union, 30 Other Outfits Call For Assam Bandh On 8 January As Mark Of Protest

The All-Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and 30 other organisations on Saturday (5 January) called for a state-wide bandh on 8 January to protest against the scheduled tabling of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, reports Indian Express.

The development reportedly comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in Silchar saying his government is committed to passing the Citizenship Bill.

The Bill would destroy the Assamese community, and it was introduced in Parliament completely disregarding sentiments of the people of Assam, AASU president Dipankar Nath was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

“AASU, the 30 (other) organisations and the common people of the state will keep protesting until the Narendra Modi government dismisses the Bill,” said Nath.

The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has also called for a Northeast bandh on 8 January protesting against the bill. “NESO wants the Government not to play with the future of indigenous people of the Northeast for vote bank politics,” Indian Express quoted a NESO statement as saying.

The Citizenship Bill proposes to make minority (non-Muslim) immigrants from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan eligible for Indian citizenship. However, according to the 1985 Assam Accord, any person who came to Assam after midnight of 24 March 1971 would be identified as a foreigner.