GUWAHATI: KMSS and several organizations from Assam began an indefinite hunger strike at Sansad Bhawan Street on December 9, demanding immediate scrapping of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
However, despite widespread protests in Assam against the Bill, the Bharatiya Janata Party aggressively aims to pass the Bill in the coming winter session of the Parliament which is beginning on 11 December.
According to a statement, issued by the 70 Assamese jatiya (national) organisations which are taking part in the protest, if the Bill is passed it would result in an unconstitutional change of the premise of the citizenship system, where one acquires citizenship by blood.
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The Bill which was introduced in the Lok Sabha in July 2016 states that the amendment bill seeks to grant citizenship to people from minority communities -- Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians -- from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India instead of 12 even if they don't possess any proper document.
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