With the near total success of the 12-hour Assam bandh called by 46 organisations against the Citizenship (Amendment)  Bill 2016, alarm bells should ring for both the Assam and Central governments. The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and 44 organisations have called the bandh to protest against the Centre's bid to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the Winter Session of Parliament. Political parties, including the Congress and the AIUDF, have extended their support to the bandh in the interest of Assam and its indigenous people. BJP’s ally in the Assam government, the AGP has been a vociferous opponent of the Bill which seeks to grant citizenship to persecuted Indians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan (not Muslims). ) According to the bill, those migrants who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014, cannot be deported or imprisoned.

Consequently, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), the influential students’ body, which also has a platform of 28 student bodies representing various indigenous communities of the state, appealed to the people of the state to stand united against the Bill.   According to the Citizenship Act, 1955, illegal migrants are prohibited from acquiring Indian citizenship. An illegal immigrant is identified as one who either enters the country without valid travel documents (like passport and visa). The category also includes those people who have the valid travel documents but stay beyond the permitted time period.

Assam is opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill as it violates the Assam Accord of 1985. According to the Assam Accord, illegal migrants who had entered Assam from Bangladesh after March 25, 1971, were to be deported. But this Bill sets very different terms. The ongoing NRC-updating process will also be badly affected, if the bill is passed. The proposed Bill’s provisions apply only to six communities from three countries. It excludes the Muslims, Jews and others communities. This raises serious questions over India’s supposed secularism. The bill also seemingly violates Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality to all persons, citizens and foreigners. Differentiating between the people along religious lines, especially when it comes to citizenship issues, would be in violation of the Constitution.