Joining the rest of the North Eastern States, the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) organised a public rally against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 under the banner of NESO at Old MLA hostel junction here on Friday. The public rally participants also burnt effigies depicting illegal immigrants.
Chairing the rally, NSF general secretary, Imtiyapang Imsong termed the Bill as violation of human rights and said the federation will strongly oppose the bill.
He said the Bill was against the secularism of largest democratic country in the world. Though the federation is not against any particular religion or people, Imtiyapang said that NSF will not back down.
In his address, NSF president Christopher Ltu termed the Bill as a direct threat to “our social structure, history and culture”. He said the student bodies and people would strongly resist the “creation of another Tripura in the region.”
Ltu asserted that entire region was “infested with foreigners from the erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)”, adding that NSF fully supported the signing of Assam Accord by the All Assam Students Union in March 1971, the cut off year for detection and deportation of foreigners from Assam.
NSF president claimed that the proposed Bill was an apparent political conspiracy by the government of India to impose the burden of the post 1971 Bangladeshis in the Northeast region and encourage the infiltration of Hindus from Bangladesh into the North east states.
He lamented that the state government has not taken any action or sent communication to the federation related to memorandum submitted on immediate exigency measure relating to coverage of Dimapur district within the purview of ILP.
Others who spoke at the rally included Pochury Students Union (PSU) president Joyson Yitsuthu and Lotha Students Union (LSU) general secretary Ashanthung Humtsoe.
On August 24, 2018, NSF had submitted a memorandum to the chief minister to check influx of illegal immigrants and ILP defaulters. It also demanded that Dimapur district be included within the purview of ILP.