Letter from the Editor-in-Chief 

Northeast is burning. This time it is because of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 which has been passed in Lok Sabha. The Bill seeks to grant citizenship to the minority communities of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, as it has been felt by the government that the condition of the minority communities in these countries are pathetic and with the spirit of compassion the government intends to grant citizenship to those who apply for it. It has created a sense of losing identity among the people of North East Region as they feel that international border with Bangladesh will open up the flood gate of immigrants which will alter the demography of the region, hence this agitation and protest. People are not convinced with the statement of the Home Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh, who said that these people will be uniformly distributed all over the country. Our cover story this month examines the various angles of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 and its side effects. In Meghalaya people have already started demanding Inner Line Permit (ILP), which is bound to affect the existing Tourism Industry in the region.

National Institute of Technology (NIT) is known for its excellence in education and placements. All the NITs have an athletic ground and facilities for field, indoor and aquatic events. Ironically, the students of the Manipur Technical Institute are demanding something they should have been provided normally with basic amenities of proper campus, proper classrooms and hostel since 21st January 2019. The article contains the students’ outcry, for which they are bound to boycott their classes and protest. We look forward that the high level team visit, understand and resolve the issue from the students’ perspective at the earliest.

In addition to the wrath of dying Kharkari River in Assam, a life-line for the agri farmers, we hope that the river may get a new lease of life, if adequate restoration measures are undertaken by the Official Department.

To end on a special note, we have witnessed this year on 26th January, the 70th Republic day of India and here our author Rajiv Laloo have come up with some interesting insights on the significance, we uphold for this day, towards expressing the devotion for the legacy of the forefathers of our great nation.

Dr. K.K.Jhunjhunwala