Assam tense ahead of National Register of Citizens data
, ET Bureau|
Updated: Oct 26, 2017, 11.52 PM IST
GUWAHATI: Authorities in Assam were edgy ahead of the publication of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), which is being updated in an exercise monitored by the Supreme Court.
The state has sought additional security forces from the Centre after intelligence inputs suggested some groups may incite communal tension in the run-up to the publication of the draft NRC, likely by December 31.
There are apprehensions in some quarters that the registry of 1951, which is being updated, will exclude people who crossed over illegally from Bangladesh and their descendants. Many residents don’t have the documents needed to prove their residential status or citizenship. Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba reviewed the internal security situation in the state at a high-level meeting in New Delhi recently.
On Wednesday, Lt Gen AS Bedi, GOC 4 Corps, chaired an operational group meeting with the Director General Police of Assam and senior functionaries of the state government, police and representatives of paramilitary forces.
They reviewed ways to ensure that peace is maintained in the state, said Suneet Newton, the defence public relations officer for Guwahati and Shillong “The meeting also brought to light the requirement to allay fears in the populace regarding NRC and its fallout,” Newton said.
It was stressed that there is a need to institute a mechanism to provide information to the grassroots through NRC seva kendras being established by the state government as well as through media campaigns. This information would include legal recourse option available to the people after the publication of the updated NRC.
Prateek Hajela, NRC state coordinator, told the Supreme Court two weeks ago that out of 47.09 lakh applicants, about 17.4 lakh were identified as ‘Original Inhabitants of Assam’ and the claims of the rest were still being validated.
Hajela’s report irked the state Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, which questioned the NRC coordinator’s classification of original inhabitants.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday and apprised him about the progress of updating the National Register of Citizens in the state.
The state has sought additional security forces from the Centre after intelligence inputs suggested some groups may incite communal tension in the run-up to the publication of the draft NRC, likely by December 31.
There are apprehensions in some quarters that the registry of 1951, which is being updated, will exclude people who crossed over illegally from Bangladesh and their descendants. Many residents don’t have the documents needed to prove their residential status or citizenship. Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba reviewed the internal security situation in the state at a high-level meeting in New Delhi recently.
On Wednesday, Lt Gen AS Bedi, GOC 4 Corps, chaired an operational group meeting with the Director General Police of Assam and senior functionaries of the state government, police and representatives of paramilitary forces.
They reviewed ways to ensure that peace is maintained in the state, said Suneet Newton, the defence public relations officer for Guwahati and Shillong “The meeting also brought to light the requirement to allay fears in the populace regarding NRC and its fallout,” Newton said.
It was stressed that there is a need to institute a mechanism to provide information to the grassroots through NRC seva kendras being established by the state government as well as through media campaigns. This information would include legal recourse option available to the people after the publication of the updated NRC.
Prateek Hajela, NRC state coordinator, told the Supreme Court two weeks ago that out of 47.09 lakh applicants, about 17.4 lakh were identified as ‘Original Inhabitants of Assam’ and the claims of the rest were still being validated.
Hajela’s report irked the state Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, which questioned the NRC coordinator’s classification of original inhabitants.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday and apprised him about the progress of updating the National Register of Citizens in the state.
