Are we citizens of a lesser God ?

Letcha Haokip *

India is a pluralistic country built on the promise of secularism enshrined in the constitution. The very idea of India is unity in diversity, a country which does not discriminate its citizens on the basis of caste, creed or religion. For a large country like India with the size of a sub-continent it is unthinkable to rule on the basis of one religion, one language or culture.

Unfortunately, the BJP and its ideological mentor, RSS think otherwise and have been trying to impose its majoritarian religion on every citizen of the country. While the country is facing job losses, economic crisis, farmer distress, falling rupee value, etc the BJP government at the Centre is going hammer and tongs promoting highly communal and unconstitutional law like the Citizenship (Amendment) Act for its own narrow political gain.

There is a pattern in which the devilish agenda of Modi-Shah government have been played out in the open. Be it disrobing Jammu & Kashmir of its special status by abrogating Article 370 of the constitution, or the ruling on Ayodhya dispute that goes in favor of the majority religion, and now the Citizenship (Amendment) Act which have been hurriedly passed in the Parliament triggering widespread protest throughout the country particularly in Assam and Tripura.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), as is known to all by now is nothing but a legal framework to deny justice to a particular community to pave way for majoritarian identity. Amidst wide spread condemnation and protest against the law throughout the country, the BJP has made no qualm about pursuing its narrow political objectives. Many experts of the law and constitution have made it clear that CAA is against the basic tenet of the constitution which will not stand the test of constitutional morality.

Now, it is up to the Supreme Court to decide on the fate of the new law. Keeping aside the legal and constitutional matters, how does the bill do good for the country and its citizens? Firstly, the bill is designed to deny citizenship to Muslims who have been declared illegal in the NRC exercise in Assam while the same illegal immigrants belonging to Hindu faith will be given Citizenship.

Are the minorities and the people of North East belongs to children of a lesser God?

The bill has several ramifications that can seriously jeopardize the idea of India and also putting the country many years backward. It is a well-known fact that since the time of partition, millions of illegal immigrants from across the border have flooded the state of Tripura and Assam. The existence of the indigenous population is under serious threat in these two states from the large scale influx of illegal immigrants.

Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, the royal heir of the erstwhile Tripura king and former President of Tripura Congress Party said, “the situation today is such that an indigenous people in Tripura can never become CM or top bureaucrats of the state”.

Assam would have met the same fate like Tripura had there not been Assam Accord 1985 after long years of struggles and sacrifices against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. However, those hard earned peace which have brought Assam to the path of progress albeit slowly have been scuttled and pushed backward once again today.

It has been six days since the protest erupted against CAA where basic services like Internet, banks, etc have been shut not to mention closing of educational establishments and untold misery to the common people in Assam. The new law will not only negate the little peace earned after signing of Assam Accord 1985, but further alienate the minorities and the people of North East.

The peace loving Assamese people from all walks of life are once again on the street in thousands protesting peacefully against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Every state in North East must not view the issue of illegal immigrants as the problem of Assam and Tripura alone, but the problem of the entire region.

Protection under ILP or Article 371 is not going to be there for long, these measures are just a ploy to divide the North East for their vested interest and can be abolished anytime whenever New Delhi wants, it does not matter whether the people accept or reject it. This is the reality today!

North East India is home to numerous ethnic groups with different religions, languages, cultures, dialects as diverse as India. Its population is about 4% that of India but located strategically sharing large part of its borders with south East Asian nations including China. The region is rich in natural resources like oil and gas, coal, tea, rubber, etc, and also beautiful landscapes and rivers best suited for tourism industries.

And yet the region is grappling with poverty, inter-ethnic conflicts with no development and employment opportunities for its people. The region’s total geographical area is merely 8% of India which is smaller than any one of the three biggest states of India- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, and yet, it is divided into 8 small states based on ethnicity.

That makes it convenient for New Delhi to employ divide and rule policy and rule the region through the prism of security. New Delhi knows very well that North East India is ethnically and geographically more close to South Asian nations than mainland India.

Therefore, it is more concern against the threat perception from China, rather than genuine concern for development of its people. The region is therefore made to believe that they are destined for poverty and cannot progress without the help of New Delhi.

It will not be out of place to compare North East India with a tamed tiger that is made to believe that it is a dog whose duty is to remain loyal to its master.

It is about time the people of North East realize that, asserts its power and define their own destiny by building trade relation with the south Asian nations instead of calling the Centre on every issue.

Students, intellectuals, businessmen, artistes and civil organizations must work together for the overall development of the region. Politicians should look for development of the people rather than carry their begging bowls to New Delhi for everything. Development of North East is in the hands of its people, and the people must wake up and unleash the tiger spirit within them.

It is a clarion call to all those groups and leaders with parochial mindsets to shun ethnic based politics and join the movement for the development of the North East region. Before, we lost everything to illegal immigrants and be sorry later, let’s all stand shoulder to shoulder and fight against CAA, and built a new North East for our future generation!