4M in India risk losing citizenship
guwahati — India on Monday effectively stripped four million people in Assam of citizenship, sparking fears of mass deportations of Muslims from the northeastern state.
A new draft register of citizens includes only those able to prove they were in Assam before 1971, when millions fled Bangladesh’s war of independence into the state, and their descendants.
The Assam government has brought in 25,000 extra security force members from outside the state in case of trouble. News of the draft register sparked opposition protests in the national parliament, forcing the adjournment of upper-chamber hearings for the day.
Just over four million of the more than 30 million people who applied to be on the list were excluded from the draft, said Shailesh, the registrar general of India. “No genuine Indian citizens need to worry as there will be ample opportunities given to them to enlist their names in the final list,” he told a news conference in Guwahati.
He said appeals could be made under “well-laid-down procedures” starting August 30. The definitive list is to be finalised in December.
“We are going to provide assistance to anyone whose names are not included in the document and whoever wishes to file a claim and objection in this regard,” Shailesh added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party won control of Assam in 2016 after promising to expel illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and protect the rights of indigenous groups. —
No genuine Indian citizens need to worry as there will be ample opportunities given to them to enlist their names in the final list
Shailesh, registrar general of India
I had submitted all requisite documents.
I am surprised why the names of our family members were not there
Habibur Rahman from Sonitpur
They (Bharatiya Janata Party govt) are trying to isolate Muslims, the number that has come out is high and it is surprising
Ripun Bora, Congress party chief
mumbai — More than 4 million people were excluded from a draft list of citizens released on Monday by a census official for India’s northeastern border state of Assam, in a long-running campaign against immigrants, sparking uncertainty about their future.
Resource-rich Assam, which borders Muslim-majority 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 Hindu nationalist-led 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 Muslims 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 socalled 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 200km 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 minority Muslims.
“They are trying to isolate Muslims, 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.
Assam has been racked by waves of violence over the years as residents, including tribal groups, have
clashed with both Hindu and Muslim settlers, whom they accuse of plundering resources and taking away jobs. Scores of people were chased down and killed by machetearmed mobs intent on hounding out Muslim immigrants in 1983.
There was no need to panic, Singh said on Monday, adding that those missing from the draft list could re-submit their papers.
To be recognised as citizens, all residents of Assam had to produce documents proving that they or their families lived in India before March 24, 1971. Sailesh, the registrar, who uses one name, gave no
Based on this (NRC) draft, there is no question of anyone being taken to detention centres or foreigners’ tribunals
Sailesh, Registrar General
breakup of those who had failed to make the draft list, adding: “Based on this draft, there is no question of anyone being taken to detention centres or foreigners’ tribunals.”
The government said those missing from the list would have a chance to resubmit documents between Aug. 30 and September 28, and had the option to appeal at the foreigners’ tribunal.
“Although we have been told that we can apply once again to get our names enlisted in the citizenship list, we are worried about our future,” said Nur Banu from the Darrang district. —