Special cabinet meeting on November 18 to discuss Citizenship Amendment Bill

GUWAHATI: Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu informed that a special cabinet meeting will be convened on November 18 to discuss Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB).
The bill is likely to be tabled in the winter session of the Parliament. Speaking at a function on National Press day, Khandu said the state government has constituted a Consultative Committee on the CAB, which had met political parties, students’ bodies and community based organisations to seek their opinion on the CAB and to prepare a comprehensive and consolidated report on the issue.

He said, “The report of the committee will be discussed in the special cabinet meeting. The Centre government has made its stand clear on the Bill assuring that it will not affect the tribal states,” Khandu added.

The Bill is aimed at making minority communities- such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan- eligible to apply for Indian citizenship.

The bill was passed by Lok Sabha on January 8, however due to bitter protest from several organisations in Northeast India and some NDA allies, the bill was not tabled in Rajya Sabha.

In its manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had said, “We are committed to the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Bill for the protection of individuals of religious minority communities from neighbouring countries escaping persecution.

On the Naga talks, Khandu there will be no compromise on the territorial integrity of the state. “We will soon call an all-party meeting to discuss the issue .”

Greater Nagalim has been one of the NSCN-IM’s core demand. Greater Nagalim stipulates integration of Naga inhabited areas of Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar.

There is stout opposition to NSCN-IM’s greater Nagalim in these states.