CAB: Arunachal CBOs vow to protect rights of indigenous people

Various community-based organizations (CBOs) of Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday opposed the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) and vowed to protect the rights of the indigenous people in the state. At a meeting here, several CBOs under the aegis of the Arunachal Indigenous Tribal Forum (AITF) said the CAB would jeopardize the existence of the tribal people of the state.

The Consultative Committee on CAB, set up by the Arunachal Pradesh government, convened the meeting. Held under the chairmanship of Home Minister Bamang Felix, the meeting was also attended by representatives of the Nefa Indigenous Human Rights Organisation, Arunachal Pradesh Women Welfare Society and the Abotani Clan.

The nine-member panel had on Monday convened a meeting with various political parties and would another with students' bodies of the state on Wednesday on the CAB. Felix said the views offered by various stakeholders would be taken into consideration before finalizing the committee's recommendations to be submitted to the state government, the release said.

The recommendations will be based on the provisions of the Constitution and various laws and rules that protect the interests of indigenous people of the state. The state government would present the recommendations to the central government to ensure that adequate provisions are incorporated in the CAB to safeguard the interests of the people of the state, the sources said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said on October 1 that Parliament will pass the CAB which will grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after seven years of stay in the country even if they do not possess proper documents. The indigenous people of the Northeastern states fear that entry of these people will endanger their identity and livelihood.

During a meeting of the North East Democratic Alliance at Guwahati, Shah, also BJP president, had said the concerns of the North-Eastern states will be incorporated in the CAB and has sought suggestions on the issue.

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