Sarbananda Sonowal meets Rajnath Singh; discusses article 6 of Assam Accord, Citizenship Amendment Bill, NRC

If Khilonjia Mancha’s failure to hold a meeting in Cachar was a matter of relief for the people of Barak Valley, minutes of the Sarba-Rajnath meeting come as setback for the ones in supporting the bill. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal met Union Minister of Home Affairs, Rajnath Singh in Delhi. Moments after the meeting Sonowal tweeted, “Held talks with Hon’ble Union Minister of Home Affairs Shri Rajnath Singh ji in New Delhi. Discussed on various aspects of NRC work completion, which is in its final stages, Citizenship Amendment Bill and implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.”

Chief Minister’s next tweet was clearly directed towards the people of Brahmaputra Valley who are upset with the BJP Government’s soft and diplomatic approach towards Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016. “Updation of NRC has been a long-standing demand of the people of Assam. We are almost there, and it’s primarily because of people’s rock solid support towards its fast completion. A successful NRC will be a big victory for the people of Assam & their resolve,” his tweet reads.

During Joint Parliamentary Committee’s visit to Assam it got cleared that the two valleys are poles apart when it comes to Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016. Brahmaputra Valley opposed the bill while Barak Valley supported it wholeheartedly. People/Associations of Brahmaputra Valley expressed their fear that a bill like this could pose threat to the indigenous people of Assam and even malign the Assamese tradition and culture. Sonowal in one his tweets after meeting the Home Minister, rated protecting the rights of indigenous people as his government’s top priority. His tweet reads, “Successful completion of NRC is the 1st step towards safeguarding the rights and interests of the indigenous people of Assam for which they have struggled hard. Under any circumstances, our Govt will remain steadfast towards fully protecting their interests.”

Article 6 of Assam Accord was the main talking point during JPC’s Assam visit and it was brought up today too in the meeting. The Chief Minister says in his tweet that he spoke to Rajnath Singh about Article 6 of Assam Accord and here is what he had to say, “Regarding the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, Shri Rajnath Singh ji stated that a committee will be set up at the earliest in consultation with the State Government to make recommendations for its implementation.”

Sonowal claims that the Union Minister gave him assurance that, “any further step regarding the Citizenship Amendment Bill will be taken only after thorough consultation with all stakeholders. All efforts will be made to address the concerns of the people of Assam in this regard.”

Minutes of this meeting are certainly a big moment of joy for the ones opposing the amendment. But, the ones supporting the bill in the same state would be worried at best.