Four million left out of draft list of NRC in Assam
Those excluded from the list won’t be deported
NEW DELHI: More than 4 million people were excluded from a draft list of citizens released on Monday by a census official in Assam, in a long-running campaign against immigrants, sparking uncertainty about their future.
Resource-rich Assam, which borders Bangladesh, is in the grip of social and communal tension as residents campaign against illegal immigrants, a fight backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Of more than 32 million people who submitted documents to prove their citizenship, the names of 4,007,707 were missing, Sailesh, India’s registrar general and census commissioner, told a televised news briefing in Assam’s main city of Guwahati.
“On completion of verification of all applicants, the complete draft is being published,” the government said in a statement.
Officials said security had been tightened across the state as thousands of Bengali-speaking people worry about being sent to detention centres or deported.
Soldiers stood guard at government offices, where thousands of people queued to check their names on the so-called National Register of Citizens (NRC), witnesses said.
The list was uploaded on a government website, but many in remote regions of Assam, who lack Internet connectivity, travelled to government booths set up for the exercise to determine their status.
Four family members did not figure on the list, said Habibur Rahman, in the district of Sonitpur, about 200 km east of Guwahati.
“I had submitted all requisite documents,” he said. “I am surprised why the names of our family members were not there.”
Critics see the citizenship test as a measure supported by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aimed at driving out minorities.
“They are trying to isolate us, the number that has come out is high and it is surprising,” said Ripun Bora, the state chief of the opposition Congress party that has espoused the cause of minorities. “We are going to fight it out.”
The BJP denies any bias, saying it opposes a policy of appeasement of any community.
The state’s BJP spokesman was not immediately available for comment, but India’s Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, called the registration process impartial.
Assam has been racked by waves of violence over the years as residents, including tribal groups, have clashed with settlers, whom they accuse of plundering resources and taking away jobs.
Scores of people were chased down and killed by machete-armed mobs intent on hounding out immigrants in 1983.
There was no need to panic, Singh said on Monday, adding that those missing from the draft list could resubmit their papers. “Some people are unnecessarily trying to create an atmosphere of fear,” the home minister told parliament.
“I want to assure all that there is no need for any apprehension or fear.”
They are trying to isolate us, the number that has come out is high and it is surprising RIPUN BORA Assam Congress Official