CAA likely to create volatile situation in Assam again, say Opposition parties as they seek to meet PM Modi

The United Opposition Forum, Assam sought an appointment with Modi during his visit to Assam on March 8 and 9.

Guwahati: Implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is likely to create a volatile situation again in Assam like in 2019, a forum of at least 16 Opposition parties led by Congress, said in a letter to Narendra Modi, on Tuesday.

Conveying their opposition to the CAA, the United Opposition Forum, Assam (UPFA) sought an appointment with Modi during his visit to the state on March 8 and 9. They sought the PM's intervention against implementation of the CAA.

The letter comes amid the Centre's plan to release the rules for implementation of the CAA. Assam had witnessed a volatile situation in December 2019 when the act was passed by the Parliament.

"There is a strong perception among the people of Assam, irrespective of caste, creed and political affiliations that the CAA 2019 will put in danger the culture, history, socio-economic condition, social fabric, and identity of Assamese people. Moreover, the said act will go to nullify the historic Assam Accord of 1985, which is regarded as a lifeline for the Assamese people," said the letter.

The letter mentioned the protests against the CAA in 2019-20, before the outbreak of Covid-19, in the state, during which five persons were killed and several others injured.

The United Opposition Forum Assam was formed with a target to fight the Lok Sabha polls together against BJP and its allies in Assam having 14 Lok Sabha seats.

Despite a strong protest against the CAA, BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls had won nine seats while Congress bagged three seats. The BJP and its allies also formed the government in the state for the second straight term in May 2021.

Apart from Congress, the Opposition forum comprises Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP), Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Shiv Sena, SP, RJD, NCP, left parties. The AJP was born out of the anti-CAA agitation in Assam in 2019.

Anger against CAA

Many in Assam are against the CAA as it seeks to offer Indian citizenship to the non-Muslim "persecuted" migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, till 2014.

Those opposing the CAA say Assam would bear the maximum brunt as the state witnessed large scale migration from neighbouring Bangladesh since the Partition and even after creation of Bangladesh in 1971.

They fear that the CAA would reduce the indigenous people into minority by giving citizenship to a large number of Hindu Bengalis from Bangladesh.

Thus, there is a demand that Assam should be exempted from the CAA as the Centre had signed the Assam Accord in 1985 after the six-year-long anti-foreigner movement. The accord decided to detect and deport the post-1971 migrants, irrespective of religion.

The All-Assam Students' Union (AASU) and 30 other groups have announced a series of programmes, including a 12-hour fast in all districts on March 9 during the scheduled visit of the PM.

Reacting to the plan of agitation again by several organisations, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said they should move the Supreme Court, instead of resorting to agitation. Several petitions against the CAA are currently pending in the Supreme Court.

When the rules for the CAA are notified, the Modi government will start granting Indian citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who have entered the country till December 31, 2014. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the CAA rules would be notified and implemented before the Lok Sabha polls.

(With PTI inputs)