Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga on Monday expressed happiness at the Centre’s decision to exempt Mizoram and some other northeastern states from the purview of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was tabled in Parliament on Monday.
Addressing a meeting at Mizo Hnam Run (MNF office) here, Zoramthanga said the people of Mizoram in general and political parties, NGOs and churches in particular, had strongly opposed the bill.
“It is fortunate that the collective efforts of the common people, political parties, NGOs and churches have born fruit accordingly and Mizoram has been exempted from the ambit of the bill,” he said.
He said his government is in great exultation over Mizoram being exempted from the purview of the bill.
The chief minister also said he did not blame the proposed total shutdown on Tuesday called by state’s apex student body, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) under the aegis of the North East Students’ Organisation (Neso) to show solidarity with the people of the Northeast.
Amid protests, the citizenship bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union home minister Amit Shah, who introduced the bill, said it seeks to grant Indian nationality to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis who migrated to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh following religious persecution before December 31, 2014.
He said the Congress “divided” the country on the basis of religion and that is why it was necessary to bring the bill.
The bill seeks to give protection to the inner-line areas and scheduled areas of the northeastern states.
Zoramthanga added that he visited New Delhi last week and met several leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Zoramthanga said his government was planning to turn all suitable land into wet-rice cultivable farms.
He added that the state government was also making massive efforts to carry forward its bamboo project and make the state self-sufficient in food grains and meat products.