Skip to content Skip to navigation

Withdraw Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016

Appeal to withdraw the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

From: Dr. Kamal Kumar Tanti <kamaltanti@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 22, 2016 at 12:44 PM
Subject: Request for Withdrawal of proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016
To: jccab-lss@sansad.nic.in

To,

Satyapal Singh, MP
Chairman
Select Committee on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Lok Sabha Secretariat,
New Delhi

Subject: Views and Suggestions on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016

Sir,

As citizens of this country we register our deep anxiety and distress at the proposed amendment of the Citizenship Act under consideration of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament. Whatever humanitarian consideration prompted the proposed amendment granting citizenship to persons belonging to minority communities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, it is going to be highly inimical to the indigenous people of Assam and to the federal structure of the state.

At the moment, based on Assam Accord, at the intervention of the Supreme Court of India and on the instruction of the Central government, the Government of Assam is engaged in intensive updating of the National Register for Citizens (NRC) to include people permanently residing in the state till 24th March 1971 and to treat them alone as genuine citizens of the country.

The present attempt of the Central Government to extend citizenship beyond the cutoff date of 24th March, 1971 is not acceptable to the people of Assam. The state of Assam is already overburdened with high influx of foreign nationals from Bangladesh, causing serious economic and social distress and identity crisis for the indigenous communities of Assam. Under these circumstances, the proposed amendment poses an existential threat to the existing indigenous communities. 

In view of the above, we request you to withdraw the proposed amendment, or at the very least to exempt the state of Assam from the purview of the proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act.

Further, we request you to permit the people of Assam to submit their views in their own mother language in view of the fact that neither English nor Hindi is widely known among the indigenous communities of Assam.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Kamal Kumar Tanti.
Guwahati, Assam.

Comments

Rajib Bora's picture

To The ChairmanJoint Parliamentary Comitteeon Citizenship (Amendment) Bill , 2016 Sub: Opposition of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill , 2016 Sir,As citizens of this country we register our deep anxiety and distress at the proposed amendment of the Citizenship Act under consideration of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament. Whatever humanitarian consideration prompted the proposed amendment granting citizenship to persons belonging to minority communities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, it is going to be highly inimical to the indigenous people of Assam and to the federal structure of the state.  At the moment, based on Assam Accord, at the intervention of the Supreme Court of India and on the instruction of the Central government, the Government of Assam is engaged in intensive updating of the National Register for Citizens (NRC) to include people permanently residing in the state till 24th March 1971 and to treat them alone as genuine citizens of the country.  The present attempt of the Central Government to extend citizenship beyond the cutoff date of 24th March, 1971 is not acceptable to the people of Assam. The state of Assam is already overburdened with high influx of foreign nationals from Bangladesh, causing serious economic and social distress and identity crisis for the indigenous communities of Assam. Under these circumstances, the proposed amendment poses an existential threat to the existing indigenous communities.  In view of the above, I request you to withdraw the proposed amendment, or at the very least to exempt the state of Assam from the purview of the proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act. Thanking you, Yours faithfullyRajib BoraDibrugarh, Assam - 3

Pages

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Guwahati: Amid concern over the allegations of arbitrary detention of two ‘identified Bangladeshi nationals’, the Gauhati High Court has asked the  Assam government to disclose their whereabouts fearing illegal pushbacks across the Indo-Bangladesh border. A division bench of Justice Kalyan Rai Surana and Justice Malasri Nandi directive Dispur as they were hearing a writ petition. According to the petitioner, the duo namely Akbar Ali and Abu Bakkar Siddik were taken into custody by the Nagarbera police station in Kamrup district on May 25 without any information to the families. It is further alleged that the duo at risk of being "illegally pushed into Bangladesh" without...
Based on YouTube Review by: Priyanka Saha, English Literature Student, Bangalore. A day before the world would learn that Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq had won the 2025 International Booker Prize, a young voice from Bangalore shared a moving, deeply personal review of the book on YouTube. That voice was Priyanka Saha, a literature student who not only read the book but met the author in person, received a signed copy from both Banu Mushtaq and translator Deep Bashi, and offered her sincere wish that Heart Lamp would win the prize. Priyanka’s review stands out—not for its technical analysis or literary jargon—but for its vulnerability, clarity, and emotional honesty. Her words are not...
Guwahati: The Assam Government is clearing the decks for arms licenses to the people dwelling in the border areas. Same would be applicable in case of the vulnerable areas of the state to boost self-defence capabilities in the sensitive areas. This was what Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters in Guwaahti on Wednesday after the cabinet meeting presided over by him in the capital Sarma said, " We will issue arms licences to eligible individuals living in vulnerable and border areas and we will encourage local indigenous citizens to apply for arms licenses under the provisions of the Arms Act.” According to information, the government will soon issue detailed guidelines...
Defying an aroused allegations of ISI-link, Congress has appointed MP Gaurav Gogoi as the new Assam party giving the party in rank and file an occasion to rejoice from Monday. Gogoi, the deputy leader of Parliament on Monday replaced Bhupen Bora whose term expired less than a year ahead of the assembly polls in 2026.  In his reactionGaurav Gogoi wrote on X that he is grateful to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, LoP Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal for trusting him with this responsibility. Acknowledging the contributions of his predecessor, Gogoi praised former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Bhupen Kumar Borah for his leadership...
Guwahati: Rajor Dal’s sole MLA from Sivasagar Akhil Gogoi, on Tuesday welcomed the Congress party’s decision to appoint Gaurav Gogoi as the state president.  He also urged Gogoi to unite the opposition parties to take on BJP in the next assembly polls. “We welcome Gaurav Gogoi as the state president of the Congress party in Assam. We earlier gave a deadline of May 30 for commencing alliance talks with the Congress for the next year’s Assembly elections. However, as Gaurav Gogoi has been newly appointed to take charge of the party, we would like to give them some more time to begin alliance talks.”  
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday claimed that Assam alone has been combating the child marriage to be followed by many other states. According to Sarma, his government's ambitious scheme, Nijut Moina, to support girl child by providing benefits, has proven hugely beneficial for eliminating child marriage from society. He said, "The #NijutMoina Achoni is helping girls across Assam to realise their aspirations by saving them from the curse of child marriage and allowing them to pursue their education. Let's hear from our little Bhagins on how this scheme has touched their lives." According to him, beneficiary schemes like the Nijut Moina initiative have...
In a major political development ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, the Indian National Congress has appointed Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi as the new President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), replacing Bhupen Kumar Borah. The move signals a fresh push by the party to regain political ground in the northeastern state. Alongside Gogoi, the party has named three Working Presidents for the Assam unit: Jakir Hussain Sikdar, Roselina Tirkey, and Pradip Sarkar. The appointments are effective immediately, as per a statement issued by AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal. The changes come as the Congress intensifies preparations for the 2026 Assembly elections, aiming...
Three prominent Indigenous rights organizations from Northeast India — the Centre for Research and Advocacy (CRA), Manipur; Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT), Sikkim; and Borok Peoples’ Human Rights Organization (BPHRO), Tripura — have issued a strong joint statement in solidarity with the Adi people of Arunachal Pradesh. They condemned the recent filing of an FIR against human rights lawyer Ebo Mili and called for an immediate halt to the ongoing Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) survey for the controversial 11,000 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project (SUMP). The organizations criticized the Government of India for proceeding with the survey without obtaining the free, prior,...
Protests are gaining momentum in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district as villagers voice strong opposition to the central government's proposed mega dam project on the Siang River, fearing displacement, ecological destruction, and increased seismic risk in the region. The protest, which began earlier this week in the Upper Siang area, intensified on Friday as security forces arrived to begin preparations for the infrastructure buildup. The dam, which is part of India’s broader push to harness hydropower in the strategic and resource-rich border state, has stirred concerns among local communities and environmentalists alike. Arunachal Pradesh lies in Seismic Zone V—the highest risk...
In a shocking incident that underscores the ongoing threats to press freedom in Pakistan, senior Baloch journalist Abdul Latif Baloch was shot dead early Saturday morning in front of his wife and children in Mashkay, Awaran district of Balochistan. The 55-year-old journalist was associated with Daily Intekhab and Aaj News. The Geneva-based media rights organization, Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), has strongly condemned the killing and demanded a transparent and credible investigation to ensure justice. PEC President Blaise Lempen expressed deep concern, stating, “We condole the untimely demise of Abdul Latif Baloch and urge the concerned authorities to launch an authentic probe to nab the...