New Delhi: The North East Student Organisation (NESO) on Monday termed Centre's reported move to amend the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) as a 'piecemeal offer'.
"The central government is giving different solutions for different states in the northeast. It's nothing but only a 'piecemeal' offer to get the CAB passed," said Samuel Jyrwa, NESO president.
The NESO delegation on Monday had a discussion with a few other organisations from Northeast over Centre's move to bring the controversial bill in the ongoing session of the Parliament.
"We have been opposing the Bill since 2016, and we will continue to do so," added Jyrwa.
NESO, a conglomeration of different student organisations from the Northeastern states have been opposing the CAB ever since it was mooted by the Narendra Modi Government.
Home Minister Amit Shah during his meeting with leaders of different organisations from Northeast on Saturday, has reportedly informed that several amendments will be made in CAB.
Read:| Hyd Vet Murder: KCR orders setting up of fast track court
The amendments include the decision of the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) System in the sixth schedule areas of the Northeastern states.
However, the Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations (CCTO) is of the opinion that there are several other areas in the region which do not come under the sixth schedule but 'have tribal people living there'.
"We have been opposing the bill. Though we were told about the amendments in CAB, we are yet to see the draft copy...There are several areas in Assam which come under the fifth schedule under the State Act, they too need to be protected," said Aditya Khaklari, chief coordinator of CCTO.
While both fifth and sixth schedule has a dominance of the tribal people, they have been recognised as Scheduled Area under the fifth schedule and tribal areas under the sixth schedule.
While the fifth schedule envisages the creation of the tribal advisory council, the sixth schedule provides for district councils and regional councils with certain legislative and judicial power.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday will sit for another round of talks with a few other organisations from Northeast to get them on board for a common consensus over CAB.
All Assam Students Union (AASU), Naga Student Federation (NDF) among others will sit for a talk with Shah in the national capital.
The government, according to sources, is planning to bring CAB in the Parliament for its passage this week.
The CAB talks about giving citizenship to the minority communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan seeking asylum in the country over religious persecution.
