KHADC resolves to urge Centre for exempting tribal areas from the CAB

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 19, 2019

SHILLONG: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Tuesday has resovled to urge the Centre to exempt the applicability of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 in the tribal areas and the state of Meghalaya as a whole. 

While moving the resolution in the House here, executive member in-charge land Titosstarwell Chyne said, “Whereas, the KHADC expresses grave concern over the move of the government of India to reintroduce the CAB, 2016 where if the Bill is passed in the Parliament, illegal migrants from minority communities like Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian coming from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan will be eligible for Indian citizenship if they have entered India before December 13, 2014 and also these religious minorities will get Indian citizenship by nationalizing only after 6 years.” 

“Whereas, the influx of migrants from these countries will further affect the demographic structure of the state and threaten the very existing of the tribal people in the state of Meghalaya. Now therefore, this House resolved to urge the Union government of India to exempt the applicability of CAB, 2016 in the tribal areas and state of Meghalaya as a whole,” he said. 

Supporting the resolution, Congress leader and MDC of Mylliem Ronnie V Lyngdoh however asked the United Democratic Party (UDP) to convince the convener of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Himanta Biswa Sarma to also oppose the CAB. 

“If he (Himanta) is ready to oppose the Bill, I will join the NEDA. Therefore, I urge the UDP which is part of the alliance to take up the matter and ensure NEDA stops the CAB from becoming an Act,” Lyngdoh said.