Assam: Meeting called off in Silchar
GUWAHATI, May 31, 2018: Khilongiya Mancha, Silchar called a meeting on Wednesday on scrapping of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, was cancelled by the organisers.
Pro-talks Ulfa leaders Anup Chetia, Mrinal Hazarika and Jiten Dutta, were scheduled to attend the meeting. Chetia is the chief patron of the Mancha, which was constituted in February.
According to the organisers, Hazarika, Rubul Das, Ranjan Narayan Koch of Chilarai Sena, Bongaigaon and locals had gathered in Sonai Road in Silchar but they were not accorded permission to organise the meeting. The Mancha leaders will visit Silchar again after the publication of the final draft the NRC on June 30.
Most of the organisations and citizens of Barak Valley had favoured the bill before the joint parliamentary committee hearing in Silchar earlier this month.
Various organisations and prominent citizens, under the banner of Nagarikatwa Dabi Mancha, organised a street-corner meeting, performed songs and plays and distributed leaflets in Silchar on Wednesday in support of the bill.
All the speakers demanded the 2014 voter list should be considered for the NRC update and the bill. They reiterated they are against the granting of citizenship according to religion.
The forum will submit a memorandum on Friday after a demonstration in front of the deputy commissioner's office.
Former vice-chancellor of Assam University, Tapadhir Bhattacharjee and theatre personality Sekhar Debroy, among others, spoke.
Source: The Telegraph
Featured image: The Telegraph
