ES Reporter

ITANAGAR, Jan 8: Normal life was hit across Arunachal Pradesh due to the "Northeast bandh" called by the North East Students' Organisation (NESO), an umbrella organisation of students' bodies in the region, of which the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) is a constituent.
The 11 hour bandh called by the NESO against the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 is being supported by various federal units of AAPSU. The protesters blocked roads and national highways while shops, markets, banks and other financial institutions kept their shutters down. Educational institutions, private offices remained closed and private vehicles including long-distance buses kept off the roads in most of the places across Arunachal Pradesh.
Attendance was also thin in government offices as employees faced difficulty in reaching the workplace in the absence of adequate public transport. However, agitators exempted students appearing examination and emergency vehicles from the preview of the bandh.
AAPSU in a press statement extended gratitude to people of Arunachal for the unstinted support and solidarity for today's bandh call. The spontaneous outpouring of support by common masses against the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 is real and huge. But it is unfortunate and sad to see despite objection from people of Northeast the Bill has been passed by the BJP government unilaterally in the Lok Sabha without taking into account the sentiment of indigenous people just to satiate their political objective, it added.
This act of the Central government has once again exposed its step motherly attitude towards the people of Northeast. The Bill has once again evoked angst in the minds and hearts of Northeast people and may ferment more trouble in the days to come, it opined. Meanwhile, in another statement, NESO  has also expressed its resentment on passing of the Bill despite strong opposition even in the Lok Sabha. This move will reduce the indigenous people of the Northeast to a minority in our own land.  NESO will not quit and will continue the fight to protect the distinct identity and future generations. Further, it also urged the government of Arunachal Pradesh to come clean on its stand on this serious issue.
Superintendent of Police, Itanagar informed that no untoward incident occurred during the 11 hour bandh and no one has been detained either.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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