India citizenship protests turn deadly

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The death toll from protests that began last week in India’s Assam state has risen to six. On Sunday, close to 5,000 demonstrators marched as they sang and chanted, “Long live Assam.” In New Delhi, protesters set several buses on fire. Police responded with tear gas, and authorities shut down schools in the city. West Bengal state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suspended internet service in several districts.

Why the protests? The demonstrators oppose a new law that grants citizenship to non-Muslim migrants. The measure will fast-track the naturalization of Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Parsis, and Sikhs who fled Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh because of religious persecution before 2015.

Dig deeper: Read Lynde Langdon’s report in The Sift on why the law is controversial.

Onize Oduah

Onize is WORLD’s Africa reporter and deputy global desk chief. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and earned a journalism degree from Minnesota State University–Moorhead. Onize resides in Abuja, Nigeria.

@onize_ohiks