GUWAHATI: As Centre is set to complete counting the Indian citizens living in
Assam by June-end and list their names in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and exclude illegal settlers from Bangladesh, five UN special rapporteurs have jointly have written to Union minister of external affairs
Sushma Swaraj and reminded her of India’s obligation to adhere to international human rights norms and standards against racial discrimination.
The rapporteurs on minority issues, contemporary forms of racism, promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and on freedom of religion or belief in their letter stated, “There is no official policy outlining the implications for those who will be excluded from the final NRC. It is reported that they will be treated as foreigners and that their citizenship rights may be revoked in the absence of a prior trial. They may subsequently be asked to prove their citizenship before so-called Foreigners’ Tribunals.”
They stated that NRC update has generated increased anxiety and concerns among the Bengali Muslim minority in Assam, “who have long been discriminated against due to their perceived status as foreigners, despite possessing the necessary documents to prove their citizenship.”
While acknowledging the fact that process of updating the NRC of 1951 is purely aimed at listing Indian citizens, the rapporteurs stated that local authorities in Assam are deemed to be particularly hostile towards Muslims and people of Bengali descent. They alleged that the local authorities “may manipulate the verification system in an attempt to exclude many genuine Indian citizens from the updated NRC.”
They said that although the Bengali origin Muslims in Assam descend from peasant workers brought from the former
Bengal and
East Bengal starting in the 19th century under colonial rule, they have long been portrayed as irregular migrants and as a result, Bengali Muslims have historically been the target of various human rights violations, including forced displacement, arbitrary expulsions and killings.
They, however, stated later in the letter that they do not wish to prejudge the accuracy of these allegations, but at the same time expressed serious concern that members of the Bengali Muslim minority in Assam have experienced discrimination in access to and enjoyment of citizenship status on the basis of their ethnic and religious minority status.
They have requested the MEA minister’s to provide detailed information on any steps taken to ensure that the substance and implementation of the NRC update comply with India’s obligations under international human rights law and standards. They also want Swaraj to provide details on steps taken to ensure that the NRC update does not result in statelessness or human rights violations, including arbitrary deprivation of citizenship, mass expulsions, and arbitrary detention, details of steps taken on safeguards ensuring that members of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities are not discriminated against in the framework of the NRC update and the determination of their citizenship status.