The North East Students’ Organization (NESO), an umbrella body of eight student unions from northeastern states, has announced that December 11 will be observed annually as a ‘black day’ to express unwavering opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019.

In a statement, NESO chairperson Samuel Jyrwa criticized the Central government for disregarding the persistent protests by the indigenous peoples of the Northeast against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was passed in the Rajya Sabha on December 11, 2019.

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“Despite relentless opposition, the Government of India imposed this draconian law, which is now remembered as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019,” Jyrwa said.

To mark the day, NESO has called for the display of black flags and banners in major locations across the Northeastern states.

“This observance sends a strong message to the Central government that the region remains united in its stand against the CAA. It is also a reminder to our people of the political injustice that was inflicted on the indigenous communities,” Jyrwa added.

The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, allows non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, to acquire Indian citizenship. While the government justifies the act as humanitarian assistance to persecuted minorities, critics, especially from the Northeast, view it as a direct threat to the region’s demographic and cultural balance.

The CAA has sparked widespread protests in the Northeast, where residents fear the influx of migrants will dilute their cultural identity and strain resources.

NESO has been at the forefront of these protests, asserting that the act undermines the rights of indigenous peoples and violates the Assam Accord of 1985, which aims to protect the identity and resources of Assam’s original inhabitants.

NESO has urged all residents of the Northeastern states to participate in the Black Day observance, emphasizing the need for continued resistance against laws perceived as detrimental to the region’s interests.

“This fight is for a just cause, and it requires the collective effort of all people in the Northeast,” Jyrwa stated.