India

Mizoram, Assam protest against Citizenship Bill, hold posters saying ‘Hello China, Bye Bye India’

Thousands of youngsters in Mizoram hit the streets in various towns of the state to protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Many of them held banners that read, “Hello China, Bye Bye India”.

“There is a strong feeling among us Mizos that the India does not listen to us, does not care for us, and favours illegal migrants over us,” said Ricky Lalbiakmawia, the finance secretary of the North East Students’ Organisation, an umbrella body of students’ organisations in the region, which organised the protest rally along with the Mizo Zirlai Pawl, Mizoram’s most influential student body.

“So, we are starting to think if it is instead better to seek assistance from China, and have better relations with them.”

The bill has been criticised for being communal and being used by BJP to settle Hindus from neighbouring countries in the border regions at the cost of the natives.

The bill, seeks to grant citizenship to Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Christian, Parsi and Jain migrants from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan if they have lived in India for six years.

The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha earlier this month, and is likely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha during its next sitting, scheduled to begin from January 30.

In Assam protest were organised on this by the All Assam Students’ Union, which spearheaded the anti-foreigner agitation in the state from 1979-85, and supported by the North East Students’ Organisation.

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