Assam government publishes NRC, aims to curb illegal immigration

Assam government has released the final draft of National Register of Citizens. Expecting unrest, the state government has beefed up the security across the state. According to state NRC co-coordinator, “Two crore eighty nine lakhs, eighty three thousand six hundred and seventy seven people have been found eligible to be included in the National Register of Citizens.”

The state NRC coordinator also appealed to the people to not to panic. The people whose name is not in the list can stake claims and raise objections. 

The state government has also clarified that no deportation process will be initiated on the basis of second draft. CM Sonowal also said the same thing. He said, “People whose names don’t appear on the final list, they need not worry. They will have opportunity for making claims and objections. They won’t be treated as foreigners.”

The first draft was released in December 2017, which included the names of 1.9 crore people out of the 3.29 crore total applicants, recognizing them as legal citizens of India.

The main motive behind updating and publishing NRC is to separate authentic Indian citizens in Assam from illegal immigrants. NRC consists of the names of Indian citizens of Assam and the list was prepared in 1951. Since the BJP has come to power in Assam, it has restarted the exercise again. 

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal called it a “historic moment” and also appealed people to not to give any audience to any sort of rumors, which can lead to violence. Indeed, it is a historic moment. Illegal immigration has become a major headache for India and an imminent threat to its national security. People of Assam are suffering a lot because of the flood of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants into Assam. In November 2014, PM Modi had said, “Bangladeshis are entering Assam every day and destroying the state.” PM Modi also said, “I will make an arrangement by way of which all the routes used by them to enter Assam are closed.” During his election campaign in the same year, PM Modi had said that Bangladeshi should pack their bags and leave India. With this move, the Assam BJP government made it clear that they are serious about their poll-promise to crush the illegal immigrant infiltration in the state.

According to Economic Times, on Sunday, CM Sonowal chaired an all party meeting regarding the security actions taken by the state for Monday’s draft, which will be published at all the NRC Sewa Kendras across the state. The citizens can also check their names on NRC website and through SMS also.

After the meeting CM Sonowal said, “I feel that those people, whose name is not included in the list, need not have to worry because they too have a chance with ‘claim and objection.” He further added, “People are requested to not believe in any rumors as all of them will be treated as Indian citizens and not foreigners. Nobody needs to go to the detention camp. 55,000 people from the government have been working on this since last few years. Assam is the first state of India where NRC has been updated. It’s a historic moment for the people of Assam. I want to thank them in helping us throughout. In every district, on every circle there will be a control room to help people.”
The BJP is the first government which is actually tackling illegal immigration instead of making a vote bank out of illegal immigrants. Politicians like Mamata Banerjee welcome illegal immigrants with all enthusiasm just because of their vote bank politics. During the elections in 2014, Mamata Banerjee’s TMC was largely relying on the “Bangladeshi immigrant voters” who are situated in the 18 constituencies of the Santhal Parganas of Jharkhand. Mamata Banerjee appeases the Bangladeshi immigrants for political agenda and she even called for restoration of the district magistrates’ former rights to grant citizenship to Bangladeshi immigrants living in India for more than five years.

However, the BJP does not indulge in dirty and selfish politics and since its arrival to power at the centre, the BJP government has initiated several steps to curb the menace of illegal immigrants. Now other states like Jharkhand which are victim of illegal immigration are also planning to have a National Register for Citizens. The state has considered such a step after receiving complaints of massive influx of illegal Bangladeshis in many districts of Jharkhand. The illegal immigrants are entering in state and also buying the lands belonging to the tribal communities. The problem of illegal immigrants is rampant in districts like Pakur, Jhamtara, Sahebganj and Godda.

It’s good to see that now we finally have a government which is dedicated to protect the security interests of the country. Otherwise, previous governments have heavily compromised with the nation’s interest just for the sake of their vote bank and appeasement politics.