Anger seethes within section of Assam society over granting of Citizenship of Hindu Bengalees from Bangladesh

There is a growing discontenment amongst a section of Assamese people who had voted for BJP to power in the state over granting of citizenship of Hindu Migrants from Bangladesh.

This move which directly violates the 1985 Assam Accord will ensure that almost 2 Lakh Bangladeshis Hindus will be given citizenship in the state of Assam ,something which PM Modi had promised before the 2014 elections .

The proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 – introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Modi government on December 23, 2014 – will grant Indian citizenship not only to the Bengali Hindus from Bangladesh, but also to all Hindus, Parsis, Christians, Buddhists and Sikhs of Pakistan and Afghanistan, who are seeking refuge in India "due to religious persecution or fear of religious persecution."

It also reduces their period of stay in India required to become eligible for citizenship from 11 years to six years.

'We do not want to become another Tripura ' says Himanta Borgohain , a member of the AASU who says that he voted for BJP to stop the migrants from Bangladesh from coming in the Congress Rule.

Now he laments that the same is happening under BJP Rule albeit that the Bengalis are hindus and not muslims.

Several critics and thinkers have also stated similar position and questioned the rationale behind the move 'If the Centre wants to rehabilitate the migrants then they should spread them across the country and not just one state' says one such individual adding that he did not want Assam to become another Tripura where the indigenous tribal population have become a complete minority in the state .

In the meantime Protests have been held demanding the implementation of the Assam accord. As many as 26 ethnic organisations and student bodies joined the AASU in this protest under an umbrella organisation called the Assam Andolan Sangrami Aikya Mancha.

For the time being what seems to be a concern for Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonawal is that if this spill over of this rehabilitation may have a cascading effects in the other parts of the state as well as the region.

The BJP also needs to ensure that NEDA which is the umbrella organisation  along with regional parties do not get miffed as most regional parties are rigid on the cut off year for migrants being 1971 irrespective of them being Hindus,Muslims or Buddhists.