NEW DELHI: Students from northeastern states protested against the amended Citizenship Act at Jantar Mantar here on Sunday, terming it “anti-Constitution” and a threat to identities of indigenous people in the region.
The protesters demanded scrapping of the Act, claiming it was against the spirit of Assam Accord of 1985.
“We demand the Centre scrap it and also lift restrictions like internet ban and stop police brutality,” said a Delhi University student hailing from Assam.
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The northeastern states have been facing the issue of illegal immigration for decades which is going to be revived by the Citizenship Amendment Act, said Rituparna Kaushik, a Delhi IIT student from Assam’s Jorhat.
“We accepted illegal immigrants till 1971. Now, we do not want anymore as Assam is a poor state with limited resources. The Act threatens identities of Assamese people and poses fear of them being turned into a minority,” he said.
The Act is a threat to the unique composite culture of the region, said Rukhsaar, a Delhi-based professional from Guwahati. “It is against the secular culture of Assam where native Muslims fought Mughals in medieval times and where surnames are shared by Hindus and Muslims now,” she said.
(With PTI inputs)