Meghalaya CM holds consultation with pol parties on CAB

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 30, 2019

SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday convened an all party meeting to take the views and opinions of different political parties on the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), 2016 which seeks to provide citizenship to immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

After the meeting, Sangma told reporters that the objective of the all party meeting is to know what are the issues and concerns in the CAB that the different political parties may be opposed to. 

Reiterating the stand of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government against the CAB, the chief minister however said all party meeting was also based on the request of the Union home minister Amit Shah, who is in a consultancy mode to understand the concerns of political parties. 

“Delhi is aware that all political parties in the North East region are opposing the CAB and now the government of India is saying let us talk first to understand what is it that is bothering us,” he said.

Lauding the Centre’s decision to handle the issue in a different way, Sangma said, “That is why political parties are called today so that we can put our heads together to flag our concerns as this consultation was missing last time as the CAB was passed in the Lok Sabha without no consultation.” 

The chief minister also added, “We are hopeful that from the Ministry of Home Affairs will also come to seek our opinions as well as from the other stakeholders.” 

Sangma also informed that the meeting was attended by representatives from the seven political parties including the opposition Congress and all have given their views and opinions on the CAB. “We have also requested them to submit the same in writing to the state government,” he said.

Asked, the chief minister said the political parties have expressed concern on various issues as to whether the CAB would accept anybody at anytime and whether it is going to bypass the state governments during the verification process. 

He said the political parties also wanted to know the fate of the existing laws including the provisions of the Sixth Schedule, Meghalaya Residents, Safety and Security Act, 2016 and whether they are going to be applicable once the CAB is implemented. 

“They have also asked on the other mechanisms that will be put in to ensure people of the North East region including Meghalaya are protected,” Sangma said.

Earlier this month, a region-wide public protest was also organized by different social organizations of the North East including Meghalaya, demanding the Centre to scrap off the CAB, which seeks to provide citizenship to immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

Also, the North East Indigenous People’s Forum (NEIPF) has recently demanded the chief ministers of the North eastern states to unitedly oppose the Centre’s move to implement the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), 2016. 

Meanwhile, the all party meeting has also discussed on the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India. 

According to the chief minister, the main concern expressed by the political parties was on the proposal to give nomination to the unrepresented tribes in the autonomous district councils in the state. 

He however said that the state government has already conveyed its stand on the issue while informing that the DCA minister James K Sangma is camping in New Delhi and is also conveying the same to the Centre. 

It may be mentioned here that a committee constituted by the state government has also recommended the need to delete the word unrepresented tribes from the proposed amendment of the Sixth Schedule