NESO observes ‘black day’ across Northeast on fourth anniversary of passing of CAA

GUWAHATI: Students’ bodies from the Northeast states, on Monday (December 11), observed “black day” across the region.

The “black day” was observed by the students’ unions under the banner of the Northeast Students’ Organisation (NESO) on December 11 on the fourth anniversary of passing of the citizenship amendment act (CAA).

The CAA was passed in the Rajya Sabha on December 11, 2029 despite strongest of protests and opposition in all of the Northeast states.

Black flags and banners were displayed at almost all important locations in seven Northeast states.

NESO comprises: Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF), All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Garo Students’ Union (GSU) and All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU).

NESO said that the “black day” observation was to give a message to the central government that the students’ body was against the CAA.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) was passed by the Parliament of India on December 11, 2019.

It amended the Citizenship Act, 1955 by providing an accelerated pathway to Indian citizenship for persecuted religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis or Christians, and arrived in India before the end of December 2014.

The passage of the Act triggered different types of protests and criticisms.

Violent protests erupted in Assam, where the protesters maintained that the new provisions of this Act are against prior agreements such as the Assam Accord, and that they would cause a "loss of political rights and culture".