Protesters Across Manipur Call for Withdrawal of Citizenship Bill, Demand Resignation of Lawmakers Who Support It

Imphal: Women vendors of temporary market in the main business centre here, staged a sit-in against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 on Sunday.

Women vendors of Khwairamban Bazaar demanded resignation of MPs and MLAs who were supporting the controversial bill.

Protests were also held at different places of the state by students, women and civil society organisations at Keisampat Thokchom Leikai, Keisamthong To Leirak, Singjamei Bazar, Kakwa Bazar in Imphal West district, Nambol in Bishnupur district, Kakching Bazaar in Kakching district and at Yairipok Bazaar in Thoubal district.

A joint meeting convened by six student organisations-- All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU), Manipur Students' Federation (MSF), Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), Kangleipak Students' Association (KSA), Students' Union of Kangleipak (SUK) and Apunba Ireipakki Maheiroi Sinpanglup (AIMS) -- along with general public and other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) were held at the Centenary Hall

of Manipur University.

The agitators demanded withdrawal of the bill and urged all the Members of Rajya Sabha to oppose it.

They also demanded special session of Manipur state Assembly on or before January 30 to take a resolution against the bill and called for a united struggle by all the political parties and CSOs against the bill.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the norm currently, even if they do not possess any document.

The bill is now pending clearance from the upper house of the Parliament.