Aribam Syam Sharma to return Padma Shri

Manipuri Filmmaker Aribam Shyam Sharma to return Padma Shri

Question: Aribam Syam Sharma decided to return Padma Shri in protest against which of the following bill?
(a) Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016
(b) The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018
(c) The Specific Relief Bill, 2017
(d) The Payment of Gratuity Bill 2017
Answer: (c)
Related facts:

  • Acclaimed lyricist, actor, music composer, film director Aribam Syam Sharma decided to return Padma Shri as a mark of protest against Citizenship Bill remarking it will wipe out indigenous population.
  • He was awarded Padma Shri in year 2006.
  • The citizenship amendment bill 2016 seeks to amend the Citizenship Act of 1955 allowing the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan to apply for Indian citizenship.
  • Relaxation of 11-year cutoff to six years out of 14, for immigrants of the six religions from the three countries is another disputed provision.
  • This liberalism will promote issue of illegal immigration in North East against Assam Accord and National Registry of Citizens regulated to curb the menace of the illegal immigrants.

Links:
https://www.thehindu.com/society/indigenous-people-will-become-strangers-in-their-own-lands-aribam-syam-sharma/article26215177.ece
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/feb/03/citizenship-bill-legendary-manipuri-filmmaker-aribam-shyam-sharma-to-return-padma-shri-1933815.html
https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-citizenship-amendment-bill-2016-4348