Nagaland govt resolution on Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016

February 25, 2019 195 Views No Comment

At the end of the discussion on the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), the opposition members staged a walkout in protest against the refusal of the Treasury bench to amend the Government’s Resolution by deleting clause no 3 and 4 of the said Resolution. In the absence of the opposition members the House adopted the Resolution on February 25, 2019 as follows:

WHEREAS the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 (CAB) is being pursued by the Central Government for enactment, despite opposition and rejection by Governments, political parties, tribal organizations, civil societies and others in the North East India including the State of Nagaland, who are deeply concerned with the protection and preservation of indigenous tribes from being demographically overwhelmed by conferment of citizenship on illegal immigrants as envisaged by the said Bill:

To sternly oppose and outrightly reject the CAB which shall not be implemented in Nagaland as- it will impact the unique history and status of the Nagas under the Constitution of India;

To express Solidarity with the States and communities of the North East India in their struggle against the implementation of the CAB since it has the potential of changing the demographic profile which will be against the interest of indigenous tribes in the NE States and can divest them of their constitutionally guaranteed political, cultural and economic rights;

To re-affirm the Constitutional guarantee given by Article 371A which is the part and parcel of the historic 16 Point Agreement that led to formation of Nagaland State and protects, defends and safeguards the customary way of life of Nagas, our right to land and its resources etc., without interference by Parliamentary enactments like the CAB, though it is yet to become a law;

To reiterate the Constitutional position as aforesaid that, except the indigenous population in Nagaland, nobody is entitled to own land and resources in our State, that has been guaranteed not only by Article 371A(l)(a) of the Constitution of India but also by the Inner Line Permit Notification issued under the Bengal and Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, which was included and reiterated as Point No. 16 of the 16 Point Agreement; and