Naga tribes protest against proposed Citizenship Amendment Bill

Thousands of people representing different Naga tribes attired in their traditional dress on Thursday took out a protest rally in Kohima against the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The protest march was held under the aegis of the Joint Committee on Protection of Indigenous People (JCPI), Nagaland and North East Forum of Indigenous People (NEFIP). They submitted a memorandum to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. The memorandum stated that the "Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) was like a Damocles sword hanging over the head of all the indigenous tribes of the northeast region" The memorandum was signed by NEFIP vice president Theja Therieh and joint secretary Tia Longchar.

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Requests made by Naga tribes 

The Naga tribes have requested the Chief Minister and the State Government to take up with the Central leadership to respect the sentiment of the people in the region in general and the state of Nagaland in particular and not to pass the bill in the interest of peace and harmony in the region. Earlier, addressing the gathering, Theja Therieh claimed that once CAB is passed in the parliament and becomes a law, illegal immigrants will get full right to settle in Nagaland and will take over the indigenous inhabitants. He said that the Naga people want the State Government, the elected representatives of the State Assembly, and Parliament to join hands in protecting the indigenous people.

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"We should voice together and tell the Centre to listen to our voice," Therieh said.

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He urged the Centre not to impose Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or one language policy upon the region. Representatives from various tribes including Ao, Chakhesang, and six Eastern Nagaland tribes, Gaon Burah Federation also conveyed solidarity towards the issue saying that "we will continue to fight tooth and nail till Nagaland is exempted from the purview of CAB".

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