New Delhi, Dec 4 (TIWN) Less than 12 hours before the Union cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met to pass the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill that led to widespread protests in the entire North-East in run-up to the 2019 general election, there was a hush-hush meeting In New Delhi's Assam Bhawan.

Attended by BJP President and Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, his colleague Himanta Biswa Sarma, Manipur CM Biren Singh and Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio, the meeting was to address concerns of the North-East that the amendment will bring in a rush of people from neighbouring countries, altering the unique ethnic and demographic nature of the area.  At least nine representatives from four organisations met Amit Shah where he is believed to have comforted them with an assurance that the unique identity of the North-East will not be altered in exchange for a promise that the groups will not protest the amended Bill.  Sources say one of the ways in which Shah would have allayed their fears is by reassuring them that the draft of the Bill would exclude the North-East.  The four organisations that met Shah were Manipur People Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (MANPAC), Zeliangrong Union (Assam, Manipur, Nagaland unit), The North East Forum for Indigenous People (NEFIP) and Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM)''s Imphal Unit.