Outlook English - Print Subscribers Copy Outlook English, 02 July 2018 | Page 10
PA P ERS , PL EAS E
by Abdul Gani in Guwahati
A People’s
Final Draft
Though NRC coordinator Prateek
Hajela told the media recently that
the names of nearly 50,000 for-
OR whom does the bell toll
eigners would not be in the final
on June 30? The upcoming
draft, many suspected that the
publication of the final
number might go even higher. A
draft of Assam’s National
notification from the NRC office
Register of Citizens (NRC),
on May 2 asks border police to
following a first draft that
Who is a citizen? Assam will
refer brothers, sisters and other
was published on December 31
unveil its verdict on June 30.
relations of ‘declared foreigners’
last year, has engendered an air
to the foreigners’ tribunals and not
of nervous anticipation in the
include their names in the NRC.
state, with the state government
“Since May 2, the Muslim com-
making massive security prepa-
munity is seeing a conspiracy to
rations to combat any distur-
exclude as many Muslims as possi-
bance—some 150 paramilitary
ble from the final list. There are
companies have already been
allegations that fresh reference
put on alert. Assam has seen a
cases under the Foreigners Act are
prolonged battle against ‘illegal
being registered only to exclude
immigration’, with many politi-
them from NRC. Large numbers of
cal and students’ movements
women who submitted panchayat
emerging from the struggle. The
certificates are facing anxiety and
people’s feelings are mixed; all
apprehension about being exc
hope that an accurate NRC will
luded from NRC,” adds Kalam.
draw a line under years of con-
Ainuddin Ahmed, vice-president
flict and harassment, allow
of the All Assam Minority Students’
those of Bengali origin—of all
PTI
Union, has his own questions. “We
castes and creeds—to live with
have some problems with certain devel-
dignity, and provide a permanent solu- WE’RE ALL RIGHT Those included
opments. The notification which was iss
tion for the state. But some worry about in the draft got receipts on checking
ued on May 2 is a little problematic. We
genuine Indian citizens being excluded,
while others are more complacent, put- minorities’ from Bangladesh, Pakistan want to raise a question: why was it only
and Afghanistan. Many in Assam fear that issued at the last moment? So, we are
ting their faith in the system.
The first NRC was prepared in 1951 by the BJP-led central government’s move going to the Supreme Court to sort out
certain things. Otherwise, we fully sup-
recording particulars of all the persons will negate the very purpose of the NRC.
On the other hand, many—particularly port the system and want an error-free
enumerated during that year’s census.
Unique to the state of Assam, this docu- Muslims, who are 34 per cent of the state’s NRC for a permanent solution,” he says.
ment was put together to distinguish population, the second-highest figure The students’ body and other minority
Indian citizens from illegal migrants from after J&K—have been facing harassment organisations believe that several lakh
then East Pakistan. The movement over their citizenship, and stress the need Muslims might be left out if the May
against illegal immigration stems from for an accurate register to put an end to 2 notification is applied. Political parties
the indigenous population’s worries about this. “Ever since the NRC updating pro- like the Congress and the All India United
being overwhelmed by ‘outsiders’, and- cess started, Muslims have been always in Democratic Front have expressed similar
fear that demographic changes would lead favour of an error-free NRC. Muslim apprehensions that a good number of
to the loss of culture, language and identity. community organisations and students’ genuine Indian citizens might be left out.
Meanwhile, others emphasise hope.
Now, the updated register will be pub- bodies have organised thousands of meet-
lished to include the names of those per- ings and awareness camps to mobilise the Prantosh Saha, a vegetable seller in
sons or their descendants whose names people to participate in the process. They Dalgaon, Darrang district, tells Outlook,
appeared in the NRC, 1951, in any of the worked hand in hand with the authorities “In our extended family of 20, none of the
electoral rolls up to March 25 of 1971 or in even after the publication of first