‘Art 371F protects Sikkim from Citizenship Amendment Bill’

You don’t worry, Shah tells Sikkim

GANGTOK,: Union Home minister Amit Shah has assured in the Parliament that Article 371F strongly protects Sikkim from Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019.
“The MP from Sikkim raised the matter (in the House). I have told him personally also and I tell him again in the House that the Citizenship Amendment Bill will not encroach upon any laws of Sikkim. Article 371F protects you (Sikkim) strongly,” said Shah on Monday late evening. He was replying to the concerns expressed by Sikkim Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba on the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha.
The Union Home minister mentioned that the rules of Citizenship Amendment Bill would not be enforced until it is endorsed by the Sikkim Legislative Assembly. Article 371F protects you, you do not have to worry, Shah told Indra Hang.
Earlier, a total of 48 Parliamentarians including the Sikkim MP had taken part in the debate on Monday.
In his two-minute address at the Lok Sabha, Indra Hang pointed out that Union Home minister Amit Shah, during his speech, somehow left Sikkim out from the exemption list of States in the Citizenship Amendment Bill. He mentioned that Sikkim became a part of India in 1975 under the special constitutional provision of Article 371F.
Article 371F protects all the old laws of Sikkim, said Indra Hang adding that the citizenship of Sikkimese Indians is defined by the Sikkim Subject Regulation Act 1961, an old law of Sikkim.
“This brings to the point that Sikkim should be exempted from the Citizenship Amendment Bill which is under discussions today. On behalf of the Sikkimese people and Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, I strongly oppose the implementation of Citizenship Amendment Bill in Sikkim and hence, the bill,” said Indra Hang.
As per national news media, the Sikkim MP voted against the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha registering the strong opposition from the SKM government and Sikkim against the contentious legislation.
The controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, which seeks to give Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday midnight though it was vehemently opposed by the major opposition parties.
The draft legislation was passed after division of votes with 311 in its favour and 80 against it, following a marathon debate which continued till 12.06 am on Tuesday after beginning at about 4 pm on Monday. The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), whom Indra Hang Subba represents, was among the 80 who voted against the bill.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister P.S. Golay has thanked the Union Home minister for ‘exempting Sikkim’ from Citizenship Amendment Bill under the special provisions of Article 371F.
In his social media page, SKM spokesperson Jacob Khaling shared the ‘thank you’ tweet of the Chief Minister and also posted a video speech of the Union Home minister regarding Citizenship Amendment Bill in context of Sikkim.
“The Union Home minister clearly states that this will not intrude with any laws of the State and Article 371F protects the state and the Sikkimese people. Shri Amit Shah has also stated that until and unless Sikkim Legislative Assembly does not pass the rules of Citizenship Amendment Bill, our Article 371 F will stand supreme and protect the interest of our Sikkimese people,” Khaling posted.
The SKM spokesperson added that once such assurance is given in the floor of the House, there is no reason to look at the Citizenship Amendment Bill with suspicion.
The SKM spokesperson added that Chief Minister P.S. Golay has time and again placed request to the Centre for exempting Sikkim from the purview of the Citizenship Amendment Bill which was passed in the Lok Sabha.
A letter written by the Chief Minister to the Union Home minister was also released by the SKM requesting for exempting Sikkim from the bill. The SKM is the only regional party from the North East to have voted against Citizenship Amendment Bill and we will not give up our fight to work on excluding Sikkim from its purview, he said.
In his letter to Shah, the Chief Minister mentions that there are apprehensions and confusions in Sikkim regarding the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019. “It is relevant to bring to your kind notice that around 75,000 left-out citizens of Sikkim at the time of merger with the Union of India have already been granted Indian citizenship, way back in the year 1989-90”, he wrote.
Golay submitted that Sikkim is governed by Article 371F which protects the old laws and Inner Line Permit regime in Sikkim.
The Citizenship Amendment Bill would now be moved in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday to cross its final hurdle before becoming a law to provide Indian nationality to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains and Buddhists fleeing persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.