Nagaland consultative meeting rejects Citizenship Bill

Kohima, Jan 31 (IANS) A consultative meeting on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, convened by the Nagaland government with civil societies, tribal organisations, political parties, NGOs and student organisations on Thursday unanimously resolved to oppose the Bill and reject its implementation outright in Nagaland.

Opposition Naga People's Front and Congress boycotted the meeting.

The NPF said it decided to boycott the meeting as the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party-led People's Democratic Alliance government did not oppose the Bill when it was tabled in Lok Sabha on January 8.

The Congress, which was decimated in the Assembly elections, said the meeting is a case of "too little too late" after enough damage was done by the PDA government while "pursuing the BJP-driven agenda".

However, the meeting attended by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio adopted a five-point resolution and unanimously resolved to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 and outrightly rejected its implementation in Nagaland.

"Nagaland stands in solidarity with the rest of the region in order to safeguard the rights of the indigenous people of the region," the meeting, chaired by chief secretary Temjen Toy and attended by 184 representatives Naga tribe bodies, NGOs and student organisations besides members of various political parties of the state, resolved.

The meeting also resolved that the Nagaland Assembly should discuss and resolve to enforce inner-line permit regulations all over the state including, Dimapur district which is not under the purview of the inner-line permit system.