Assam seeks to calm fears on register

Sarbananda Sonowal in Guwahati on Sunday. Picture by UB Photos

Sumir Karmakar, TT, Jul 30, 2018 ,Guwahati: Assam prepared for one of its most important days in nearly 50 years with chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal issuing an assurance that those missing from the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) would neither be deprived of any rights nor sent to detention camps.

On Monday, the final draft, not the final list, of the register will be published, which essentially seeks to classify as Indian citizens those who entered Assam from Bangladesh before March 24, 1971.

Bengali-speaking minorities have expressed fears that the exercise might be misused to weed them out, which the chief minister sought to allay at an all-party meeting on Sunday. At the root of the citizen test is a clamour for scarce jobs and resources, which has prompted sections of the populace to demand the removal of "illegal foreigners".

Orders prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons were issued throughout Assam on Sunday as a precautionary measure.

Security personnel in front of the NRC office in Guwahati on Sunday. Picture by UB Photos 

"This is just a draft NRC and those not making it to the draft would not be deprived of any rights. The NRC will remain as a historic document as Assam is the only state to have updated the NRC after nearly 40 years of struggle by the people of the state seeking solution to the foreigner problem," chief minister and BJP leader Sonowal said after a two-hour meeting with Opposition parties on Sunday evening here.

An article written by Sonowal and released to the media added: "I hope that the people will maintain the same harmonious environment after the publication of the complete draft. No one should panic if his or her name does not appear in NRC. Genuine Indian citizens would get full opportunity to include their names through the subsequent process of claims and objections. Both the central and state governments would extend full cooperation in this regard. Already, Union home minister Rajnath Singh has categorically stated that no one would be sent to detention camps even if their names do not appear in NRC."

Sonowal appealed against fomenting unrest and urged the people to stand united.

"We have made repeated requests in the past to all sections of society to desist from making any inflammatory or communal remarks regarding the NRC. Some disruptive elements of society are trying to create conflict among various sections by circulating rumours and misinformation about the NRC. I urge the people to stay united to defeat all such evil designs," he said.

The Opposition parties urged the state government to request the Supreme Court to extend the time to submit claims and objections. Those whose names do not figure in the final draft will get 52 days from August 7 to submit the claims and objections. The Opposition wants this window to be widened to 90 days.