Church leaders have appealed for peace in northeastern India, where police shot dead two people as violent protests spread against the federal government amending the law on citizenship. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, passed by the national parliament on Dec. 11, is seen as discriminatory on religious grounds. It gives citizenship to migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan if they are not Muslims.

The bill also reduces the requirement of residence for these migrants from 11 years to six years if they arrived in India on or before December 2014. Street protests against the law turned violent in several northeastern states. Police fired at thousands of people who defied a curfew in Assam’s State capital Guwahati, killing two.

Indigenous groups in the region believe the law gives citizenship to millions of immigrants who came from neighboring Bangladesh following its independence in 1971. Regardless of religion, they believe the move will change the demographics of their region.

Church leaders such as retired Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil of Guwahati say the controversial law was needless.

“It was passed discriminating some groups,” said the prelate, who is a member of Assam Citizens’ Forum. “We, along with the people of Assam, regardless of faith, call for calm and peace during these difficult times. We want all to be united.”

The Salesian bishop said political leaders should have taken the people into confidence. He said the law threatens small ethnic groups in the region “who have lived here for centuries.”

The Congress party, which opposes the ruling pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said the situation in the region was “extremely disturbing.”