KMSS to Launch Agitations Against CAB in Assam, Says Akhil Gogoi

Guwahati: RTI activist and KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi on Sunday announced that the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti will launch a series of agitations against the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill across Assam in the coming days.

Addressing a press conference here, Gogoi said KMSS and its three other sister organisations will launch its agitation from Monday by visiting houses of people across the state to distribute leaflets and other "awareness documents" against the Bill.

"Our stand is very clear that protesting against the CAB is a fight for our identity. We will oppose it at any cost, even by shedding our blood," Gogoi said. On November 22, the organisation will hold a protest demonstration and submit a memorandum to the President and the Prime Minister "for the last time" through the Governor that "we will not accept the CAB at any cost", he added.

"We will also work towards uniting all the political parties and organisations. The KMSS-led 70 groups and AASU-led 30 groups should unite against the CAB so that there are no conflicting programmes," the peasant leader stressed. He emphasised that there is no question of differencein ideology or political parties at this moment and anyone opposing the CAB should unite, he added.

"This bill is unconstitutional and unparliamentary. This is against the people of the state. We all should come out and oppose it vehemently," Gogoi appealed the public to join the agitation.

Meanwhile, the Left-Democratic Mancha, Assam will organise a sit-in-demonstration and procession on Monday in Guwahati to register their protest against the proposed controversial Bill.

The constituents of the Left-Democratic Mancha include CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML), RCPI, Janata Dal (S), NCP, LDP, AAP and Asom Sangrami Mancha.

As per the Lok Sabha Bulletin Part-II on November 14, the tentative list of Government Legislative and Financial Business for the Winter Session of Parliament includes the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 for introduction, consideration and passing. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was earlier passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8 but lapsed later as it could not be

placed in the Rajya Sabha.

The CAB seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of stay in the country even if they do not possess proper documents.