From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI: Pressure groups and students’ organisations in Assam are sceptical of the way things have shaped up in the run-up to the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) even as they have welcomed the Union home ministry’s decision to provide legal aid to those excluded from the final list.
The home ministry had recently clarified that legal aid from the government would be provided to those excluded from the final NRC to file appeals in foreigners’ tribunals.
Besides, as it may not be possible for all those excluded from the final NRC to file appeals within the prescribed time, the ministry will amend the rules to increase the present time limit of filing appeals from 60 days to 120 days.
All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU), termed the statement by the chief minister as “political” at a time when the Supreme Court was monitoring the NRC update process.
“While we welcome legal aid to all those legal citizens (with pre-1971 documents) excluded from the final list, the chief minister’s statement about bringing an ordinance post NRC publication is nothing but political. It is a kind of drama and an attempt to give protection to illegal migrants from Bangladesh,” AAMSU president, Rejaul Karim Sarkar alleged.
Sarkar further alleged that the minority community had been subjected to tremendous harassment ever since the NRC update exercise had begun. “We have always maintained that we want a correct and foreigner-free NRC. However, from the developments of late, we fear that the government is trying to give refuge to foreigners,” he alleged.
The final list of NRC will be published on August 31, 2019.
City-based NGO, Sachetan Nagarik Mancha, Axom lauded the Centre and the state government for the measures to provide legal aid and time for those excluded to file appeals in foreigners’ tribunals post NRC publication.
“At the same time, we wish to state that if lakhs of foreigners find a place in the NRC list, then the register, which people thought would be the lifeline for indigenous people, would on the contrary be just the opposite. Now, since the pleas for sample re-verification from several quarters have gone in vain, we want the Centre and the state government to take tough measures for a correct NRC,” Atul Barman, general secretary of the Mancha, told The Shillong Times on Wednesday.
The Mancha alleged that the “unilateral” role of the state NRC coordinator would inevitably pave way for inclusion of names of foreigners and exclusion of indigenous people in the NRC list.
