A timeline of events leading up to Assam's immigrant problem & how the NRC came to be
Influx of immigrants in Assam
Influx of immigrants has been a major concern for inhabitants of Assam. The state has seen two major episodes of large-scale migrant influx- one around the time of India-Pakistan partition and the second time during the run-up to the 1971 Bangladesh war.
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AP
Surge in voting population
Flow of illegal immigrants continued across porous borders and the issue took centre-stage when the voters’ list in a 1978 bypoll to Mangaldoi Lok Sabha seat saw a surge.
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AP
Trouble on the boil
A student group called the All Assam Students Union, called for putting off the election till ‘names of foreigners’ were struck off the electoral rolls. This was the start of a six-year agitation that culminated in the Assam Accord.
In Pic: Activists of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) taking out a protest rally in Guwahati.
In 1979, Aasu and the All Asom Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) began a series of protests across the state. State educational institutes remained shut for long. Periodic strikes at times turned violent. According to official records, 860 people were killed in the agitation. Among the leaders spearheading this agitation were Aasu president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Aasu gen secretary Bhrigu Kumar Phukan and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad gen secretary Biraj Sharma.
In Pic: Former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta addresses a press conference regarding the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
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PTI
The Nellie massacre
As many as 2,191 people, mainly Muslims, from Nagaon villages were killed. The perpetrators were believed to be Assamese tribals. The violence came amid protests by indigenous Assamese against the decision to grant millions of immigrants the right to vote in the state elections. The elections ultimately saw a voter turnout of just 32%.
In Pic: Abdul Suban, a farmer, and his wife pose for a photograph outside their home in Nellie village, in Morigaon district, in the northeastern state of Assam.
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Reuters
The Illegal migrants (Determination By Tribunals) Act 1983
The Parliament passed the Act to stem the inflow of immigrants. Aasu and AAGSP began talks with the Union government. The Supreme Court in 2005, however, found the Act counter-productive and struck it down.
In 1985, the Assam Accord was signed between the Centre, the Assam government, Aasu and AAGSP to end the agitation over the foreigners' issue.
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Agencies
The Assam Accord of 1985
Under the 1985 Accord and subsequent amendment of the Citizenship Act, foreigners were to be divided into the following categories: (i) Those who came to Assam before 1.1.1966; (ii) Those who came between 1.1.1966 and 24.3.1971; (iii) Those who came to Assam on or after 25.3.1971. The first category were to be treated as full-fledged citizens; the second to be denied franchise for 10 years and the third group to be deported.
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Agencies
The Assam NRC
Amid tight security the final draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on July 30. The final draft contains names of 2.89 crore people. The first draft contained names of 1.9 crore citizens living in Assam. According to the officials, no deportation will take place according to this list. NRC updation is also one of the provisions of Assam accord.
