AS-CITIZENSHIP-APPEAL

Prominent citizens of Assam

Saturday described as "unconstitutional" the Citizenship

(Amendment) Bill 2016 and appealed that care should be taken

that attention was not diverted from the "non-violent

democratic struggle" against it.

The 22 signatories of the appeal included litterateur

Hiren Gohain, noted filmmaker Jahnu Barua, senior journalist

Manjit Mahanta, Director General of Police and Sahitya Akademi

awardee Harekrishna Deka and academicians Udayditya Bharali

and Dinesh Baishya.

The Narendra Modi led government's attempt to get the

Bill passed in both the houses of Parliament is an attempt to

create a rift between the Assamese and Bengalis in the state

and also to bring a divide among its different indigenous

communities, they alleged.

"The government and fundamental organisations are

trying to forcefully enact the (Citizenship) Bill and a

spontaneous movement against it has been launched across the

region.

"We must be, however, very careful that there is no

violence as it will divert attention from our democratic

struggle," the appeal said.

Assam and the entire North East have come out

spontaneously and unitedly to oppose the "unconstitutional

Bill" but the ruling BJP and Hindutva organisations are making

all out efforts to weaken the movement against it, it said.

The signatories said that some miscreants had attacked

BJP offices in some parts of the state and these incidents are

being used to malign the "non-violent and democratic movement

against the Bill", the appeal said.

Several organisations across the state and North East

are participating in the struggle against the Bill. "We appeal

to all organisations and people to remain alert and maintain a

strict vigil against inimical forces so that no untoward

incidents take place and our movement is not labelled as

violent, as attempted by the ruling government and certain

fundamental forces," it said.

Among the signatories are senior journalists Haidor

Hussain, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, Adip Phukan, retired IAS officer

Jyotiprasad Saikia,and former MLA Holiram Terang.

A sedition case was filed by Assam Police against

Mahanta for certain remarks made at a protest meeting against

the Citizenship Bill and the Gauhati High Court had granted

him bail on Friday. It had also granted interim relief to

Hiren Gohain and to RTI activist Krishak Mukti Sangram Ssmiti

leader Akhil Gogoi in the case.