Mizoram University students urge Centre to scrap Citizenship Act

Aizawl: The Mizoram University Students’ Council (MZUSC) on Wednesday asked the Centre to scrap the amended Citizenship Act, which triggered massive protests across the country after Parliament passed it last week.

Hundreds of students belonging to the university staged a solidarity march in the wake of brutality against students of Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi recently. More than 500 students and teachers took part at the protest held at the varsity campus, a student leader said.

Speaking on the occasion, Mizoram University Students’ Council president Xavier Lalruatkima blamed Delhi Police for its brutality against the students. “Our leaders have failed to protect and uphold democracy and that is why the present students have to step out to protect the same and teach our nation’s leaders,” he said.

He said that the council strongly opposed the amended Citizenship Act as it is “divisive” and “anti-secular”. “We urge the Centre to repeal the law as it will divide the country and bring serious impact,” he said.

The leader also blamed Mizoram’s lone Lok Sabha member C Lalrosanga for voting in favour of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament against the interest of the people.

He said that Lalrosanga and BJP nominee Lalhriatrenga Chhangte promised to oppose the Bill during a discussion platform organised at the varsity campus. “We demand apology from the two leaders for lying to us by supporting the Bill,” he said.

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Speaking to EastMojo, Lalnilawma, a rural development professor from Mizoram University, said he strongly blamed the use of force against students of Jamia Millia Islamia University. He opposed the amended law as it seeks to grant citizenship on religious lines.

On Mizoram being exempted from the purview of the law, the professor said the state is not fully protected as other neighbouring states are not kept outside the Act’s ambit.

KC Lalmalsawmzauva, another teacher from the same university, said that the exemption of Mizoram being only an ILP area was not appreciable as Mizoram has already implemented ILP.

He alleged that the main agenda of the BJP government at the Centre is “one natio, one religion”. He added that both the students and teachers alike strongly opposed to the amended law.