IT training northeast today TruePDF february 2019

Vol.9 Issue.02 February 2019

Cover Story

AMENDMENT OF
CITIZENSHIP ACT: A LATENT
TALE OF LOST PEOPLE ?

(COVER IMAGE COURTESY: Manash Das)

24

CONTENTS

Partha Prawal delves in deeper into the Citizenship (Amendment)
Bill, 2016, which was passed by the Lok Sabha recently and
after which the Northeast, especially Assam, has witnessed wide
protests demanding for its scrapping.

14
16
18
20
22
30
4

Assam

CAB Creates
Disarray in Assam
Manipur
Manipur Stands Firm
Against CAB
Meghalay
CAB Faces Stiff
Opposition
Sikkim
Taking Giant Steps
in Financial Security
Tripura
Tripura Smeared
with CAB Stains
Nationwide
Amendments of
Reservations

32
38
40
42
46
48

February 2019

34

Special Report

WHAT MAKES ME A
LESSER ASSAMESE?

Maumita Mazumdar pens down a few words of agony that has
hit her hard, thanks to the chaos and commotion created by
the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which is
an attempt to grant citizenship to those non Muslims who have
migrated to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan
owing to religious persecution.

International
CPEC and the
India USA Jealousy
In Conversation

63

Audience Admire
Good Work

Heritage
The Journey
of Collections
Meet The Artist
Pallab Dhar
Career
Get Paid
to Eat
Music

Kum
Chirui

62

50

www.northeasttoday.in



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NORTHEAST COULD BURN
IF CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT)
BILL IS PASSED
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) perhaps fears that it is losing
popularity and hence maybe so the government is recklessly
committing one blunder after another. The decision of the Lok Sabha
to pass the ‘controversial’ Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, amid
protest across the northeast and some parts of India, may be intended
to make Bengali Hindus look favourably on the BJP.
The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) broke its alliance with the BJP in
Assam. Several BJP legislators have also opposed the Bill along with
a number of social scientists and intellectuals have come out in open
against the Bill, demanding the government to scrap it.
A number of constituent parties of BJP’s North-East Democratic
Alliance have urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh not to go
ahead with the bill. If BJP wants to establish a firm ground for itself
in the northeast, then this bill is evidently going to misfire; in fact, it
is already misfiring!
We cannot deny of the fact that the ethno-religious makeup of
the northeast region is extremely complex and the region, over the
decades, has faced the brunt of waves of migration from erstwhile
East Pakistan and now Bangladesh.
The Amendment bill is a sheer contradiction to the Assam Accord,
which has laid down March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for absorbing
migrants. The cut-off date as per the amendment bill is December 31,
2014. This is nothing but an insulting slap on Assam Agitation, which
claimed 855 lives in Assam.
The CAB also flagrantly violates the constitutional tenet of

secularism by making religion a criterion for citizenship.
What the BJP is doing is wrong and it shouldn’t have stirred the
hornet’s nest in the Northeast. The region can easily slip back into
separatist turmoil which it is just leaving behind. The Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill must be put on hold or else, the region may burn
(again) and if it does this time, the consequences will be much brutal
and grave- something we can never ever imagine of!

Find Us on :

www.northeasttoday.in



M

AIL JUNCTION

G

ranting PRC to the non-tribal is going
to change a lot of things in the state of
Arunachal Pradesh. Decisions of the
government are either under-estimated or overestimated. That is why a change always results in
chaos. Hope this change is going to be a good one.
Nabam Techi, Arunachal Pradesh

J A N UA

9

RY 201

B

ogibeel is the result of long periods of hard
work, effort and planning. However, the
government should now be concerned about
the safety of people as right after the inauguration
an accident took place. The claims are that this
happened due to the carelessness of people and
their addiction to take selfies on the bridge.
Through your magazine, I would like to request the
government to take this matter seriously.

S

ikkim has always proved to be one of those
states in the entire country which is taking
steps that actually needs to be taken. Thank
you for highlighting the fact in your article.
Robin Gurung, Gangtok

Pradip Barman, Berpeta

T

he article on Digital Shakti was really
informative and interesting. I was really glad
to know about this initiative. Kudos to the
team of this entire campaign.

Sanjib Laitonjam, Imphal

T

he cover story of the January issue was
informative as well as entertaining. It was
fun to know about these people who are
doing excellent in their respective areas. Keep
writing about such achievers.
Sonam Thapa, Sikkim


M

I

am writing in reference to the career article
on Doodling. It was really an informative and
helpful one. I would like to thank the Northeast
Today team for making us aware about these kinds
of career options.

I

AIL JUNCTION

am a regular reader of your magazine. I am very
happy with the content but I guess the designs
and layouts can be made more interesting.
Pratik Deb, Silchar

Subir Sarkar, Tripura

I

t was nice to read a tribute about our very own
Dipali Borthakur in your magazine.

I

would like to request the Editor to kindly
revamp the Gearbox and Technology section of
your magazine. More interesting content can be
used in these two sections.

Neha Borthakur, Jorhat

T

he fashion article of the January was
inspiring. I really loved the collections and
the story of the owner. I would definitely
pay a visit.
Miranda Gogoi, Hatigaon

www.northeasttoday.in

Seema Kakati, Guwahati

I

really loved the photos of the photogram
section. The pictures were telling quite a story.

Mianak Meetei, Manipur

February 2019

9


Q

UICK PICK

ITANAGAR TO HAVE AIR CONNECTIVITY

T

he finance ministry cleared Arunachal
Pradesh’s Hollongi airport recently. The
approval means that Arunachal’s capital
Itanagar will finally have air connectivity. The
airport will be 25 kilometres away from Itanagar
and the cost of the project is pegged at Rs 1,055
crore. As stated by the state chief minister, “The
Greenfield Airport at Hollongi will be a state of
the art infrastructure which will propel economic
development besides improving connectivity for the
local population. Tourism will also see a huge boost

with this project.”

THIRD DWIJING FESTIVAL
CELEBRATED

T

he third edition of Dwijing Festival was
celebrated to promote river tourism in
rural areas of the Bodoland Territorial
Council and the state. The 12-day long
festival was celebrated in Chirang District of
Assam on the bank of the River Aie starting
from December 27 to January 7. The festival
was graced by the presence of Assam CM
Sarbananda Sonowal and Bollywood celebrities
like singer-composer Himesh Reshammiya,
actor Malaika Arora, Shweta Pandit, Neeraj
Shridhar (Bombay Viking) and others.

10

February 2019

PASIGHAT TO DIBRUGARH BUS
SERVICE FLAGGED OFF

T

he Arunachal Pradesh State Transport Services

(APSTS) on January 3, started a bus service
from East Siang HQ Pasighat to Dibrugarh
in Assam, via the Bogibeel bridge. Flagging off the
bus service at the APSTS station, Pasighat East MLA
Kaling Moyong expressed hope, that it would help
patients in a medical emergency, and also create new
commercial prospects.

WOMEN’S POLO
TEAM USHERS IN MANIPUR

T

wo millennia after the first Manipuri polo
match, a women’s team is ushering in a quiet
revolution. The match was organised from
January 17 to 21 and the 4th Manipur Statehood
Day Women’s Polo Tournament was presented by
Manipur Tourism. It was produced by Polo Yatra
(the Indian women’s initiative of Huntré! Equine)
and organised by All Manipur Polo Association.
In addition for the first time, in 2018, seven highachieving women players were given government
jobs by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
www.northeasttoday.in


Q

A POTENTIAL CREDIT AMOUNT
OF RS 1,936.4 CR PROJECTED BY

NABARD FOR MEGHALAYA

T

he National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD) has estimated a credit
potential of Rs 1936.37 crore for Meghalaya
under priority sector during 2019-20. The amount was
disclosed during the launch of the State Focus Paper
(SPF), a credit planning exercise undertaken by the bank
in close coordination with multiple stakeholders like the
state government, banks, NGOs and farmer groups. The
amount holds significance for Meghalaya, which has
been a largely credit-deficient state with consistently low
credit-deposit ratios in the range of 30-32 per cent.

UICK PICK

WOMEN GROUP
CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS PLASTICFREE NAGALAND

A

woman group ‘Mercy Society’ from
Dimapur, formed by single mothers, widows
and divorcees in collaboration with the
Dimapur Municipal Corporation and under the
training of Community Avenue Network (CAN)
Youth is taking great initiatives to curb the plastic
menace of the region. The group comes together

twice a week to make paper bags and the society
aiming to live life with dignity and sustainability.
At present, nine members are there in the group.
Nagaland chief minister, Neiphiu Rio has last year
declared that Nagaland would be a plastic-free state.

SIKKIM GETS INDIA’S SECOND
BIGGEST GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL

SNOW LEOPARD SPOTTED IN SIKKIM

H

istory has been created with the first-ever
camera footage of the Bengal Tiger (Panthera
tigris tigris) and the Snow Leopard (Panthera
uncia) roaming the forests of the Pangolakha Wildlife
Sanctuary, East Sikkim. Both were captured by same
camera trap in the Wildlife Sanctuary, confirming
the overlap in the migratory routes used by the two
big cats. The tiger was captured on camera on the
night of December 6 and snow leopard in the same
spot on January 2.
www.northeasttoday.in

T

he second biggest government hospital in the
country was inaugurated in Sikkim on January 14, making a leap in the sphere of healthcare. The hospital is spread over 15 acres of land and
1,002-bed and is the first government medical college

at Sochaygang in Sikkim. The overall cost of the project will be Rs 1,281 crore. The main block of the hospital can withstand earthquakes measuring eight on the
Richter scale and is a 10-storied building with a total
built-up area of 46886sqm. The block has as many as
13 lifts and houses all general, surgical and speciality
departments and 23 different operation theatres.
February 2019

11


T

HEY STATED

“

“

We want a peaceful situation in the Northeast and are in constant
touch with the state governments. We will strive to protect the
identity and culture of the northeast and will take steps to address
all concerns
Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister
(Said this while addressing the media after the Citizenship
(Amendment), 2016, was passed in the Lok Sabha)

“

“

Prime Minister Modi has now entrusted these 17 assembly
seats in the hands of Assamese people and not Muslims.
Without this bill, these 17 seats would have gone to
Badruddin Ajmal, Jinnah,
Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Finance Minister
(Said this while interacting with the media after the
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, was passed
in the Lok Sabha)

“

“

By passing the bill, the BJP government has polarised citizens
as Hindus and Muslims and accepted Jinnah's politics of dividing
the country,
Tarun Gogoi, Former Assam Chief Minister
(Said this while interacting with the media and lambasting the
BJP-led NDA government at the centre passed the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill, 2016, was passed in the Lok Sabha)

“

“

There is no scope or provision to give citizenship to new
people. It is only for those people who are already living
here. Only they will get a scope to apply and the DC
concerned will verify their applications,
Swapnanil Barua, Assam BJP Spokesperson

(Said this while interacting with the media and
answering the various question regarding the
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016)

12

February 2019

www.northeasttoday.in


T

HEY STATED

“

“

Government of India has declared war on the indigenous
population of NE. Passing of such a bill in Lok Sabha is like
a countdown to doomsday for the people of
north-eastern states.
N Edison, VP of the Democratic Students’ Alliance of
Manipur (Said this while reacting on the passing of the
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, in the Lok Sabha)

need to call all the party leaders and take a call on this.

“

“

Well, it is very unfortunate that this Bill has been passed as this is
something which we have opposed vehemently. We will see about
that and will discuss with all party leaders. As you are aware, our

Conrad Sangma, Meghalaya Chief Minister, (Said this while

announcing about snapping ties with the BJP after the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill, 2016, was passed in the Lok Sabha)

“

How does it help the nation? Rather they should know how it
threatens the nation and the (indigenous) communities. Don’t
they know the history, the culmination of the Assam accord,
what was happening prior to Assam Accord, how many people
have died and how this whole turmoil has actually vitiated the
whole environment in the whole northeast and the result is that
we lack behind,

“

Dr Mukul Sangma, Former Meghalaya CM
(Said this while lambasting the Centre after it passed
the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, in Lok Sabha )

“

“

The bill is against the principle of secularism and would have an
Pu Zoramthanga, Mizoram Chief Minister
(Said this while opposing the Citizenship (Amendment)
Bill, 2016)

www.northeasttoday.in

February 2019

13


STATEWIDE ASSAM

CAB CREATES DISARRAY IN ASSAM

The much dreaded Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 was passed in the Lok Sabha despite full-blooded
outrage from the opposition parties and furious people on the streets. Effigies were burned and a large
section of the civil society in all parts of Assam raised their voice in unison and revolted against the bill.
Kaushik Deori delves in more.
A number of organizations spearheaded by All Assam Students Union (AASU), North East Students
Organization (NESO) and Krisak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) mobilized a sea of crowd and went on
strikes and observed ‘Assam bandh’ as a mark of retaliation. The backlash turned violent in several parts
of the state as stones were pelted at vehicles which were running on the days of the strikes.

H

Impact of CAB in Assam

istory is a testimony to how Assam
has been fighting against the influx of
illegal immigrants since several decades.
Governments have come into power promising to
curb the problem but those were just pre-election
lip services. The present government was given a
clear mandate precisely to deal with this issue. But
the complete U-turn by the party has absolutely
baffled the public. The hardcore supporters and
loyalists also went into a shellshock as they were
at their wits’ end defending the indefensible. The
bill in theory will provide citizenship to illegal
migrants, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and
Pakistan, who are of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain,
Parsi or Christian extraction. However, the Act
doesn’t have a provision for Muslim sects like
Shias and Ahmediyas who also face persecution

14

February 2019

in Pakistan. The Bill also seeks to reduce the
requirement of 11 years of continuous stay in
the country to six years to obtain citizenship by
naturalization. Historically, Assam has been the
happy hunting ground for illegal immigrants to
settle in. Now after the passing of the bill it will
be a “come one, come all” scenario, which will
lead to behemoth that will trigger a severe dent

to the cultural diaspora of the state. BJP’s ally,
Assam Gana Parishad (AGP) has pulled out of all
ties with the government as they see no point in
prolonging the companionship because the bill is
against the ideology AGP stands for.
Comments from union/organization leaders
Expressing worry, the president of AASU
Dipanka Kumar Nath stated, “PM has no
respect for democracy and its principles. He
www.northeasttoday.in


STATEWIDE ASSAM
has undemocratically imposed the bill on the
people here. He has no respect for the sentiments
of the indigenous people of the region. It is a
conspiracy to silence the democratic voice of the
indigenous people.” The pain in his statement was
understandable. He further added, “Assam is ours
and not a dustbin for Bangladeshis. The Central
and Assam government have pushed us to the
agitational path. The Modi government at the
Centre by imposing the bill and the Sarbananda
Sonowal government by not opposing, have
inflicted mental torture on the indigenous people
of Assam threatening their existence, identity,
language, culture and heritage.”
NESO coordinator Pritambai Sonam quoted,
“Despite staging various dharnas even in New
Delhi by student bodies from the north-east, the

Centre is hell bent to pass the controversial bill,
undermining the sentiments of the indigenous
people of the region.”
Samujjal Bhattacharya, advisor, AASU, who
has been at the forefront of various protests on
issues related to Assam quoted, ““At any cost or
any condition, will not accept this Bill. After the
historic Assam movement, the historic Assam
Accord was signed. According to this Accord,
Hindu- Muslim citizens prior to 1971 will stay in

Assam with the right of citizenship but those who
have entered after 1971, Hindu or Muslim must be
deported.” Condemning the government for their
polarizing tactics, he added, “It’s not against any
community. It’s not against Hindus, not against
Muslims, not against the Bengalis. It is against
illegal immigrants. We are repeatedly saying that
India is for Indian and Assam and North East is
in India. India, North East, and Assam are not
dumping ground for illegal Bangladeshis.”
The muddle ahead
We are looking at a future which threatens
to be very bleak. With the agitated youth and
the common masses, the pushback can turn
extremely hostile. The governing party of Assam
turning a deaf ear in the whole fiasco has been the
most disheartening thing, many will testify. CM
Sarbananda Sonowal and his wingman Himanta
Biswa Sarma were hailed as “jatiyo nayok”. Many

see it as the betrayal towards not just the people
but the “jati” (community). At the time of writing
the piece, the bill is yet to be heard at the Rajya
Sabha. The people of the state wait with bated
breath because if it gets passed there, it will be the
final nail in the coffin.


STATEWIDE MANIPUR

Women hold protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Imphal on January 22, 2019

MANIPUR STANDS FIRM AGAINST CAB

The Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 was passed on January 7 at Lok Sabha. The bill if passed
will recognise or grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslims illegal migrants from Bangladesh,
Afghanistan and Pakistan once the person has stayed in India for six years. Jeijei Newme reports
from Manipur…

W

ith the passing of
the bill, there is a
huge uproar across
Northeast denouncing the
passage for its possibility to
change the demographics
of the region and therefore
demanding the withdrawal of
the bill.

An all North-east bandh
was imposed on January 9
lead by North East Students
Organisation (NESO) for 11
hours against the bill and

16

February 2019

normal life was badly affected.
In Manipur too, under
the banner of All Manipur
Students’ Union (AMSU), a
constituent of NESO, political
parties and CSOs, a series of
protests and conventions were
held in the state capital and
elsewhere.
Almost every civil
organisation, both big and
small, political partiespowerful or not- hit the
streets decrying that the bill

is only a tool to suppress the
indigenous people of the
state (NE region) and that
the foreigners should not be
granted citizenship that easy.
Series of protests and

conventions were held against
the passage of the bill and
discussing the future course
of actions if the bill is passed.
A signature campaign has
been started recently by North
East India Development Party
(NEIDP) and has collected so
www.northeasttoday.in


STATEWIDE MANIPUR
far 50,000 signatures so far.
Altogether 64 civil society
organisations from both the
hills and the valley have also
come together under one
banner on January 28 called
Manipur People Against
Citizenship Amendment
Bill (MPACAB) to press for
withdrawal of the bill.
Among these 64
organisations include big
organizational names such as
United Committee Manipur
(UCM), All Manipur
United Clubs Organisation
(AMUCO), Manipur Muslim
Welfare Organisation

(MMWO), apex bodies of
tribal organisations such as
Zeliangrong Union (Assam,
Manipur Nagaland), Kuki Inpi
Manipur (KIM), All Tribal
Students’ Union Manipur
(ATSUM), Indigenous
Minority Organisation
Manipur and so on.
In their bid to intensify
their demands, the MPACAB
has called a 24-hour statewide bandh on January 31. A
conglomerate of nine political
parties have come together
and extended their support
for this bandh. The parties
include Communist Party of
India (CPI), Communist Party
of India- Marxist [CPI (M)],
RSP, AIFB, NCP, BSP, People
Resurgence PRJA, JD(S) and
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The Manipur Pradesh
Congress Committee
(MPCC) has also shown
strong resentment in this
bill and that has termed the
bill as ‘unconstitutional’ and
that it will have detrimental
www.northeasttoday.in

consequences in the future.
Six major student
organisations, All Manipur
Students’ Union (AMSU),
Manipuri Students’ Federation
(MSF), Democratic Students’
Alliance of Manipur
(DESAM), Kangleipak
Students’ Association (KSA)
and Students Union of
Kangleipak (SUK) have also
organized series of protests
even tried to storm inside
Rajya Sabha member of
Parliament, Kshetrimayum
Bhabananda, on January 25
demanding that he opposed
the bill in the upcoming
parliamentary budget session.
During the course,
five students were hurt and
hospitalised when police
fired smoke bombs trying to
disperse the agitating crowd.
Nation’s Republic Day,
January 26, one of the most
important days in the annual
calendar of the nation, was
also boycotted in the state,

as a part of opposing the
passage of the bill. The joint
team of six student bodies
and CSOs made up of UCM,
AMUCO, Committee of Civil
Societies Kangleipak (CCSK),
Ethno-Heritage Council
(HERICOUN) and League of
Indigenous People Upliftment
(LIPUL) also took part in the
boycotting of Republic Day.
President of AMSU,
Manjit Sarangthem, in a
press conference before the
Republic Day, has termed the
Republic Day as a dark day for
NE Region.
In Ukhrul district, TKS
has called for a boycott of the

Republic Day celebrations
showing their resentment
against the passing of CAB.
Roads were blocked and
demonstrators even burnt
tyres at different points of
Ukhrul headquarter.
Many have realised the
need for unity and called
for togetherness, to bury the

differences and voice together
as one for the withdrawal of
the bill.
The state government, on
the other hand, has said that
it will do anything to protect
the people, and have been
reviewing the situation of the
state from time to time. It has
also pressed for presidential
consent for Manipur People’s
Bill, 2018 and to include a
clause in CAB, for protection
of the local people. Well, MPB
sought to give protection of
indigenous people of the state.
This bill has been passed by
the state assembly in the 2018
monsoon session.
Under the Citizenship
Act, 1955, an applicant must
have resided in India during
the last 12 months and for 11
of the previous 14 years. But
with this bill, it relaxes the 11year requirement to six years
for persons belonging to the
same six religions of the three
countries.
The bill was first
introduced on July 19, 2016.

It was then referred to a joint
parliamentary committee
on August 12, 2016, and the
report was passed in Lok
Sabha on January 7, 2019.

February 2019

17


STATEWIDE MEGHALAYA

CAB FACES STIFF OPPOSITION

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, after it was passed in the lower house of the
Parliament, has met with severe opposition in Northeast, even though the Centre and the
Assam government have been openly supporting it, stating that the bill is not a threat to the
indigenous people of the region. The Conrad Sangma-led NPP government in the state has
straight away rejected it. Even several BJP leaders of the state have resigned from the party
owing to this. Northeast Today reports…

O

Throwback
n May 11, 2018, members of several
social organisations, including a students’
body, had opposed the idea of granting
citizenship to migrants during a meeting with
the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, at the State
Convention Hall in the city.
The North East Students Organisation
(NESO), in a petition to the committee, said the
people of the region should be provided with
“constitutional safeguards”.
“We oppose the proposed Bill in totality
and demand that Inner Line Permit system be
introduced for the entire region,” NESO chairman
Samuel B Jyrwa had said.
“The Bill is another effort to encourage
infiltration of the Hindus from Bangladesh into
the different states of the region. People here are
shocked to see that religion is a criterion in the

18

February 2019

bill,” he had added.
In all, 10 different organisations, including the
Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (Tripura)
and the Grand Council of Chiefs (an organisation
of tribal communities), were present at the
meeting.
Sangma’s Stand
The opposition to the Bill is not new and it has
been opposed tooth and nail since the time it was
tabled or discussed. Meghalaya Chief Minister
Conrad Sangma, after the bill was passed in the

Lower House, met Union home minister Rajnath
Singh and asked him to reconsider the Citizenship
Amendment bill 2016 as it could prove to be a
major law and order problem for his state as well
as the Northeast region.
He led a six-member party delegation
including BJP leaders to home minister in New
Delhi. Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga also
www.northeasttoday.in


expressed his reservation about the bill.
“We have expressed our concern on the
bill along with all the coalition partners to the
home minister. We hope that the government
will reconsider. We have expressed concerns of
political parties and civil societies and the public
in general of Northeast India. Rajnath Singh has
assured he will look into it and call a meeting of
northeast chief ministers to discuss the issue,” the
Meghalaya CM said.
“Everybody in Meghalaya is opposed to the
bill. I urge your good office to reconsider the
decision and find a solution for the people of
Meghalaya and the Northeast,” said Meghalaya
health minister of Meghalaya, AL Hek.
Sangma further said that every chief minister
of Northeast should come together to express their
concerns on the issue and stand united before the
central leadership for the welfare of the entire

region.
In a meeting held in Guwahati recently,
Sangma said, “We are here to come together to
appeal to the government that this issue must
be looked at from point of view of sentiments of
northeast and country as a whole. We will see
future course of action as time comes.”
Other Oppositions
The Khasi Students Union (KSU) on January
30 organised a public rally against the Citizenship
(Amendment) Bill in Shillong. The rally drew a
massive response.
Among the thousands who participated in the
rally were Chairman of the State Planning Board,
Lambor Malngiang, State Minister of Urban
Affairs Hamlet Dohling, leaders of the HNYF,
www.northeasttoday.in

FKJGP, SSSS, RBYF, GSU, AYWO and members
of several State NGOs.
The speakers in the rally launched a frontal
attack against the BJP-led government at the
Centre for giving passage to the bill in the Lok
Sabha. President of the KSU, Lambok Marngar
told the gathering, “If the CAB comes into force,
be prepared to go out to the fields. We will not
have guns to fight but we will shed our blood for
the future generations of the State.”
He demanded that the CAB is scrapped and
warned the government not to ‘force the students

to abandon the pen for a gun’.
Chairman of NESO, Samuel Jyrwa drew
a parallel between the Armed Forces Special
Powers Act (AFSPA) and CAB. He said AFSPA
is an ‘instrument of oppression’ and now they are
enforcing the CAB upon us. “The bill will greatly
harm the social fabric of the region and also have
an adverse effect on the economics of the region,”
said Jyrwa.
“We have accommodated the Bangladeshi
migrants till now; this should not be allowed
to happen again in our State and the region”, he
added.
General Secretary of the Hynnietrep National
Youth Front (HNYF) Sadon K Blah stated, “In the
name of religious persecution, the CAB will give
an open invitation to the so-called persecuted lot.
The rehabilitated families will have constitutional
rights and that will impinge on the interests of the
indigenous people of the region”.
Many in Shillong believe that the CAB will stir
and destroy the social fabric and hence scrapping
it is the only option that the government has if
there needs to be peace in the state.
February 2019

19


STATEWIDE SIKKIM

Representative Image

TAKING GIANT STEPS IN FINANCIAL SECURITY

Maumita Mazumdar reports about the different financial schemes- Universal basic Income
Scheme and the One Family One Job- introduced by the Sikkim government to uplift the financial
condition of its populace.

S

First Words
ikkim might not be geographically substantial, but
the state has progressed
manifolds in the last few years.
In 2018 Sikkim witnessed appreciable achievement with UN
awarding it the world’s first 100
per cent organic state, beating
states of 25 other countries. The
state also got its first Airport
levitating the opportunities for
economic growth. Also that Sikkim is an environment-friendly
state, it has been able to increase
its forest cover by four per cent
since 1993, which has proven
the proficiency of the government schemes undertaken for
the same purpose.

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February 2019

The Political Manifesto
Sikkim’s Democratic Front
(SDF) government has announced in its election manifesto that it will implement a
‘Universal Basic Income’ scheme
in the state if it returns to power in 2019. In that case, Sikkim
would be the first state to have
implemented the scheme in the
country. The longest-serving
chief minister of the independent India Pawan Chmaling is
definitely not letting go the rule
in the bags of BJP.
Chamling quoted in the recently held Rojgar Mela that Sikkim is also the only state in the
country that spends 70 per cent
of its revenues towards salaries

for state government employees
and also gives the highest salaries
to state government employees.
The focus on job creation has
intensified in the run-up to the
2019 Lok Sabha elections. The
Sikkim government has taken a
giant leap with the launch of the
scheme and the announcement
of the extremely ambitious UBI
for the future.
What is Universal Basic Income?
Universal basic income

(UBI) is a model for providing
all citizens of a country or other
geographic area with a given sum
of money, regardless of their income, resources or employment
status. The purpose of the UBI
www.northeasttoday.in


STATEWIDE SIKKIM
is to prevent or reduce poverty and increase equality among
citizens. The most common argument in favour of UBI is that
it promotes social justice. Since
it is supposed to displace all
other welfare schemes and subsidies, the wastages from inefficient government projects and
poor targeting would also cease.
The main argument against the
scheme revolves around the fact
that such an initiative would
give money to those who do not
need it and may actually reduce
the incentive to work or even
search for employment.
The Utility of the Scheme
Sikkim would appear to be
the ideal testing ground for UBI
in India. It is a surplus power
generating state, which exports
nearly 90% of the 2,200 MW
that its hydel projects produce
ensures a steady revenue stream

that other states typically lack. It
has a literacy rate of 98% and a
BPL population way below the
national average. Also looking
at the size of the population it is
formidable for the state to implement such a scheme in comparison to the other states of the

country. Though the amount has
not yet been disclosed by the government yet the scheme would
be implemented by 2020 as stated by the State government.
One Family One Job
The scheme envisions employment to a member of every
family which does not have a
government job in the state. Under this scheme, all loan debts in
the farming and agriculture sector would be revoked. At present
recruitments are being made for
Group C and Group D posts in
12 government departments.
CM Chamling personally handed out temporary appointment
letters to two beneficiaries from
each of the 32 Assembly constituencies in the state as a token
gesture to kick-start the scheme
during ‘Rojgar Mela 2019’ at
the packed Palijor Stadium in
Gangtok. Chamling’s Sikkim
government earlier announced
that 20,000 youths would immediately be given temporary
jobs under the scheme of ‘One
Family, One Job’. It has also
announced that over 25,000 already employed but non-regularised government employees

would also be subsequently
regularised within 2019 according to their seniority. However,
the letters were awarded only
to members of those families
which do not have a government
job at present.
Concluding Remarks
If successful in implementing and availing positive results
from the scheme the Chamling
government is definitely going
to mark its history as the longest ever ruling government.
However, it would be intriguing
to witness how the opposition
deals with the strategy of the
present government. It has been
reported that BJP is also initiating a scheme imitating UBI to
pronounce its welfare strategy
for the people of Sikkim. Considering its dwindling position
in Northeast on account of the
Citizenship Amendment Bill,
BJP will try its best to come into
power in Sikkim.
Also if the success of the
scheme is on the positive side
the reputation of the State which
has never failed to climb the ladder of setting benchmark would
reach a different height.

STATEWIDE TRIPURA

Representative Image

TRIPURA SMEARED WITH CAB STAINS

The political powder keg that is the Citizen Amendment Bill (CAB), 2016, was passed at the
Lok Sabha on January 8, 2019, in the midst of vehement protests all across the Northeast. A
sense of grave betrayal and dismay loomed on the faces of the agitated citizens as the Bhartiya
Janta Party (BJP), ignoring their hue and cry, pushed the draconian bill which poses a danger of
dismantling the greater part of North East India. Tyres were burnt, protest marches were made
but there was eerie radio silence from the officials of BJP. What was even more disturbing was
the valiant defence of the bill later on. Kaushik Deori reports about the Tripura protests

A

State in Turmoil
s soon as the bill was
passed, Tripura went
into frenzy in utter
disbelief. The state is already
maimed by the problem
of massive influx of illegal
immigrants from Bangladesh,
and now after the bill got
passed, it is now freewheel for
one and all. For the uninitiated,
what the bill does is, it allows
illegal migrants belonging to
the Hindu, Christian, Jain,

22

February 2019

Buddhist, Parsi religious
communities coming from
Afghanistan, Pakistan and
Bangladesh to settle in any part
of India as a bonafide citizen of
the country. The bill also revises
the minimum years of residency
in India to apply for citizenship
to be decreased from 11 to 6
years for such migrants.
A number of organizations
came together, up in arms
against the passing of the bill.
As the clash picked up steam,

the security forces started
lathi charge and firing which
injured at least 7 protestors,
of which two have sustained
bullet injuries and are in critical
condition. This triggered
more protest and agitation
from all parts of the region
and the North East Students
Organization (NESO) along

with over a hundred other
organizations observed a
consolidated strike against
the BJP and the Police force.
www.northeasttoday.in


STATEWIDE TRIPURA
What’s more, internet and SMS
services were suspended for 2
days right after the protests. It
was marked as a ‘black day’ in
the history of the state as the
indigenous communities were
having to fight for their right
over their own land.
The Tripura Conundrum
Tripura has always
been a complex state as
the indigenous/tribal
communities have forever
been at loggerheads with
the Bengali hegemony. Even
though it is a tribal state,
67.14% (2001 census) of the
population is Bengali speaking.
The Indigenous People’s
Front of Tripura (IPFT) has
been demanding a separate
state due to the popular

feeling of discontentment
with the government’s
temperament towards the
indigenous communities. The
implementation of the new bill
will mean more Bangladeshi

Bengalis cruising into the state
which will further add to the
lopsidedness. The four-time
Chief Minister of Tripura,
Manik Sarkar of CPI (M) was
thrown out of power owing
to anti-incumbency and also
because of his inability to curb
the menace of illegal migration.
In 2018, BJP was brought into
power by an absolute majority
with a hope that was on display
by the party’s stance on dealing
with the illegal Bangladeshi
immigrant problem. That is
precisely why the outrage was
amplified. The outrageous
treachery inflicted on the
citizens of the state by the
governing party was difficult to
come in terms with.
Status Right Now
At the time of writing

this piece, the Supreme Court
of India sought a response
from Central and Tripura
state government to a PIL
challenging the passing of

the bill. According to the
PIL, filed by an NGO named
Tripura People’s Front, the bill
facilitated the uncontrolled
influx of illegal migrants from
Bangladesh to Tripura, causing
huge demographic changes
in the state. The PIL also
mentions, “It has introduced
religion as a new principle
into the citizenship law and
can be conveniently branded
as ‘communally motivated
humanitarianism.”
The governing party’s
attitude towards its citizen
even after rampant opposition
against the bill brings back the
age old question of whether the
government is for the people
or is it just a mindless beast
which can go to any extent
to consolidate its vote bank.
The thought is in equal parts

sickening and worrisome. The
ease with which the people in
power fall from grace, breaking
the trust of his/her supporters
is abysmal.


Cover
Story

Amendment of Citizenship Act:
A Latent Tale of Lost People?

COVER IMAGE COURTESY: Manash Das

Partha Prawal delves in deeper into the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was passed by
the Lok Sabha recently and after which the Northeast, especially Assam, has witnessed widespread
protests demanding for its scrapping.

A

Opening Remarks
n important
component of
the spectrum of
discussions and debates
around the proposed bill
to amend the citizenship
act of the Republic of India
passed already in the lower

24

February 2019

house, has been around
the principle of separation
of the state from religious
institutions. This component
seems to occupy a large space
in the current discourses
of the national political
parties as well along with
the people-citizens of the

republic on the proposed
amendment.
The issue for the peoplecitizens of the Republic of
India whose native language
is one of the languages that
have evolved over centuries
in the North-Eastern region;
and mainly spoken only in
www.northeasttoday.in


COVER STORY
this region, is not only about
the principle of separation
of the state from religious

institutions. Various
democratic instruments
have been used by a large
number of people-citizens,
across religion, of this region;
these protesters have stood
firm so that the republic
does not end up altering one
of the fundamental axioms
that characterise it, which
is “principle of separation
of the state from religious
institutions’’.
Threat to Language
The proposed bill has
been widely protested
across the state and the
entire Northeast. If in one
hand the protestors have
cited the loss of land and
control over resources as
one of the reasons of their
protests, at the same time
these protesters have also
expressed their worry that
the amendment has the
potential to lead to an influx
of a significant number of
immigrants into the region
which in turn may lead to

the disappearance of their
languages and cultures.
Pertinently, while the
importance of the axiom of
separation of the state from
religious institutions seems
to be shared widely across
various people-citizens
and political parties of
the republic, it seems that
www.northeasttoday.in

the worry of a potential
disappearance of linguistic
groups has not been able to
receive enough attention.
Is the worry about
disappearance unfounded?
In an article in The New
York Times, titled ‘World’s
Languages Dying Off
Rapidly,’ John Noble Wilford
(September 18, 2007) wrote:
“Of the estimated 7,000
languages spoken in the
world today, linguists say,
nearly half are in danger of
extinction and are likely to
disappear in this century. In
fact, they are now falling out

of use at a rate of about one
every two weeks.
Some endangered
languages vanish in an
instant. Others are lost
gradually in bilingual
cultures, as indigenous
tongues are overwhelmed by
the dominant language at
school, in the marketplace
and on television.”
In this context, it is
noteworthy that the total
population of Northeast
is 45,772,188, a little more
than four crores fifty lakhs,
according to the 2011
Census of the Republic of
India. Given the diversity
within the collection of
the languages that have
evolved and spoken mainly
in this region, it is not hard
to imagine how small each
of these linguistic groups
are both in absolute as well

as in relative terms, once
compared with the size of
the linguistic groups such

as Hindi or Bengali for
instance.
Are there arguments
in favour of protecting
linguistic diversities?
Lera Boroditsky, a
cognitive scientist at
University of California
San Diego, in an article,
titled ‘Lost in Translation’
published in The Wall
Street Journal (July 24,
2010 ) mentioned: “new
cognitive research suggests
that languages profoundly
influences the way people see
the world…”
In this context, it is
worth mentioning one of
the observations by Amrita
Dhillon in an article,
titled ‘Indigenous culture
and tribes of North-East’
published in The Kootneeti
(November 3, 2017)
“Children and women
generally are taught to be
self- independent from a very
young age. In Meghalaya and
Nagaland, there are societies

that are matriarchal which
is a rare phenomenon in an
otherwise patriarchal India.”
she wrote.
“Khasi, Garo, and
Jaintia are the three major
tribes of Meghalaya. The
Khasi and Garo societies
are matrilineal societies.
In a matrilineal society,
the women of the family
February 2019

25