Dimapur: Coinciding with the ongoing series of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Assam, the Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has voiced its opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) bill and extended support to the voices of indigenous people of Assam and other northeastern states against the proposed legislation.

Stating that the amendment of the Citizenship Act of 1955 is also a matter of serious concern for Nagaland, the NTC urged the Centre to reconsider its policy and not go against the sentiments of the indigenous people.

The council said once the bill is passed, it will grant citizenship to people belonging to minority communities of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Stating that the bill would allow religious groups from other countries to return to India and become bonafide citizens, the NTC termed the proposed legislation as "subjective and communal" as it "stands for the interests of Hindus in particular", overriding Indian pluralism and secularism. "Granting citizenship on religious consideration is dangerous and against secular principle of India.

The Northeast is highly infested by illegal immigrants, particularly from Bangladesh, and already heavily burdened with foreigners' issue and regularisation of these illegal residents is a direct threat to Northeast's political future and the survival of its indigenous people, identity, culture and land," the organisation stated.

While lauding the decision of Meghalaya government of firmly opposing the Bill, the NTC urged the Nagaland government to oppose the bill, keeping in mind the popular wishes and interests of the citizens of the state.

The NTC said, "when Assam gets cold, Nagaland sneezes", so Nagaland's border cannot be sealed from infiltration of illegal people in the long run. And when Assam is flooded with foreigners, Nagaland will become the first victim of the proposed bill, it cautioned.

Barak stand: Nagarikitwa Dabi Mancha, 2014 Voters' List Bhitti, a conglomeration of various socio-cultural and human rights organizations, various citizens' forums and leading dignitaries of Barak Valley, on Saturday demanded that the voters' list of 2014 be accepted for both NRC update and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

In a memorandum to the Assam chief minister, the Mancha said, "Post-Assam Accord, Assam's voter list of 1997 was revised. This process of scrutiny conducted by the Assam government marked many voters of 1997 voter list as D-voters because their documents could not be verified."

Additional reporting by Satananda Bhattacharjee in Hailakandi