Asam Sahitya Sabha president Paramananda Rajbongshi on Tuesday appealed to all civil society organisations and youths of the state, cutting across caste and community lines, to stand united against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Rajbongshi said the apex literary body of Assam was as worried about the bill as any other organisation of the state and would never support the proposed law, just as it would never compromise the interests of the people of the state.

“The Sabha cannot compromise on Assamese language and culture. We have already talked to 35 ethnic organisations of the state on the bill and more are yet to be reached. There is no point in negotiating on the Assam Accord. We will not change our minds,” Rajbongshi said.

“We strongly opposed the bill in front of both the joint parliamentary committee headed by MP Rajendra Agrawal and the select committee headed by MP Satya Pal Singh and during our meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Saturday. We made it very clear that the bill was not acceptable as it would change the demography, culture and linguistic features of Assam and diminish the land and economic space of the indigenous people. We will continue to oppose it,” he added.

Paramananda Rajbongshi speaks at the news meet Picture by UB Photos

Rajbongshi said the Sabha apprised Shah of how the bill would turn the ethnic Assamese people into a minority in their own land besides losing their rights over land and resources.

“We pointed out the lapses of the bill and how it had been kept in the pipeline to pass in Parliament without ensuring the political rights of and other provisions for the people of Assam. The bill mentions nothing that can convince the people of Assam,” he said.

Rajbongshi urged both the Union and state governments to make very clear what provisions have been included in the bill to safeguard the political rights of the people of Assam.

“Providing citizenship and economic opportunities to foreign nationals on a par with the indigenous people will reduce the latter’s rights,” he said.

The Sabha president observed that the Centre’s approach had changed, with change in committees, while discussing the bill on public platforms.

While the Agrawal-headed committee had visited Guwahati, Shillong and Imphal to discuss the bill with individuals and organisations, the Singh-headed committee was calling selective groups to Delhi.

Rajbongshi said they had analysed the bill and its possible challenges with eight tribal literary bodies, other ethnic organisations, student unions and political parties and would soon organise a political convention to assess the proposed law and determine their future course of action.