At Assam rally, PM Narendra Modi allays fears over citizenship law
- PM says rumours that outsiders will be allowed to settle in the North-East are false
- PM Modi’s assurance is significant because migration is a politically sensitive issue in North-East
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first rally in Assam since the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), said there was no substance to the rumours that the new law will allow minorities from neighbouring countries to settle in the North-East.
At a public meeting in Kokrajhar, Modi said the rumours that outsiders will be allowed to settle in Assam and other parts of the North-East was not correct, and that action will be taken by the National Democratic Alliance government against those who are spreading such rumours.
“I am here to assure you all in Assam that anti-Assam and anti-national mentality will not be tolerated and forgiven by the country. Those who are spreading rumours in North-East that people from outside will come and settle due to CAA, I want to assure you that no such thing will happen,” he said.
Assam has been in the eye of the storm over CAA, which is aimed at granting Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Islamic religious minorities fleeing Muslim-majority countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Modi’s assurance is significant because migration—both legal and illegal— is a politically sensitive issue in Assam and other parts of the North-East. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had promised to carry out National Register of Citizens in Assam before the assembly elections, which helped the party form its first government in the state.
The controversial CAA has been opposed for broadly two reasons. On the one hand, its critics say it discriminates against persecuted Muslims and other minorities fleeing other South Asian countries, citing Sri Lankan Tamils and Ahmadiyya from Pakistan. On the other hand, the fear among many Assamese is that it could help usher in large numbers of persecuted Bengali Hindus from Bangladesh, which shares a border with Assam. Alleged illegal migration of Bangladeshi Muslims is also a concern.
Attempting to allay such fears, Modi said he expected the trust between the North-East and the Centre will lead to development.
“Choose the path of peace, harmony and non-violence and give away arms, it will lead to development. I want to use this opportunity to also appeal to the youth in Kashmir, and Naxals who have taken up arms, that they should learn from the Bodo people and return to the mainstream and leave the path of violence,” said Modi.
There should be no animosity among people, and violence will hamper development, he said, adding that because of vote bank politics by some people, there was a delay in addressing important issues facing Assam and the North-East.
While talking about Bodo and Bru-Reang indigenous people, he said thousands of people became refugees in their own country due to violence, but now they were being given new facilities to settle down with full respect and dignity.
Political analysts believe the Centre needs to chart a detailed plan on where minorities coming from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan would be settled. “Political speeches in a public meeting may not be able to end the fears of people, although it is a good beginning. The problem in Assam is that of Bangaldeshis, whether Hindus or Muslims. So the government needs to tell the people where it wants to settle the minorities coming from Bangladesh because the natural choice for the people of Bangladesh would be West Bengal, Assam or Tripura,” said Subrata Mukherjee, political analyst and former political science professor at Delhi University.
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First Published:7 Feb 2020, 11:50 PM IST
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