Manipur lawyers stage sit-in protest against Citizenship Amendment Bill

As the North-East continues to oppose the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 recently passed in the Lok Sabha, lawyers from Manipur today held a sit-in protest calling for the Bill to be withdrawn.

The All Manipur Bar Association and the Manipur High Court Bar Association joined hands to hold the silent protest today at the Cheirap Court complex at Imphal.

The Bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha earlier this month, seeks to amend the Citizenship Act to make illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship after residing in India for six years, as opposed to the current twelve-year requirement.

Residents of the North-Eastern states fear that the proposed amendment will lead to an influx of migrants, and therefore, change the demographic composition of the region.

It has drawn a fair amount of criticism for making illegal migrants citizens of India on the basis of religion; the Muslim community has been omitted from those who are eligible for the same. The Bill has sparked protests in Assam and other North-Eastern states, and has even led to the resignation of three ministers.

The Bill is expected to be tabled in Rajya Sabha when Parliament reconvenes for the Budget Session on January 31.