Day 1: Anger, disappointment at NRC review centres in Assam

Anger, confusion and disappointment prevailed in over 2,500 National Register of Citizens Nagrik Seva Kendras (NSKs) in Assam on Friday as people who have been excluded from the list made a beeline to collect the review forms, but were asked to come back on another day. Even the forms to request a correction were missing from the NSKs.

There were many like Ashish Das, an executive with a pharma company, who were upset and disappointed on the first day of filing claims, objections and corrections in the complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam as the requisite forms were not available.

The only form they got was to know the reason for their exclusion from the NRC that has left out more than four million, said locals who visited the NRC centres. Das’ name was included in the complete draft of National Register of Citziens (NRC) released on July 30. But, his name was spelt incorrectly. On Friday, he took leave from work to visit the NSK at Pandu in Guwahati to fill out a correction form. But the centre didn’t have it. The NRC officials said that the form may be revised after the Supreme Court hearing on August 16, when the apex court is likely to prescribe the standard operating procedures (SOPs). “We will give the forms after August 16,” said CK Baisya, a senior NSK official.

Most people who came to the NSK located at a Bengali community dominated settlement by the Brahmaputra river in Guwahati were handed over the query form and asked to return again to know the reason for their exclusion.

Prateek Hajela, the state coordinator of NRC refused to comment citing a gag order by the Supreme Court.

Saraswati Biswas, a housewife came to Pandu NSK with a hope that she will be able to reassure her two children that she has collected the claims form to appeal against their exclusion “My children had to lie in school that their names are there,” Biswas said.

Meanwhile, at the Uzan Bazar NSK, which caters to one of the oldest Guwahati neighbourhoods, there were fewer people.

GUWAHATI:

HT 2,500 Nagrik Seva Kendras in Assam will review claims, objections and corrections filed by those excluded from NRC final draft.