NRC Face Off in Assam
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NRC face off in Assam First draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) The much-awaited first draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published with the names of 1.9 crore people out of the 3.29 crore total applicants in Assam recognizing them as legal citizens of India. What is NRC (National Register of Citizens)? The National Register of Citizens (NRC) contains names of Indian citizens. The NRC was prepared in 1951 by recording particulars of all the persons enumerated during that Census. Why is NRC currently in news? The NRC updation is currently going on across Assam and shall include the names of those persons (or their descendants) who appear in the NRC 1951, or in any of the Electoral Rolls up to the midnight of 24 March 1971 or in any one of the other admissible documents issued up to the midnight of 24 March 1971, which would prove their presence in Assam on or before 24 March 1971. The NRC (1951) and the Electoral Rolls up to the midnight of 24 March 1971 together are collectively called Legacy Data. How many states have its NCR’s? Assam is the only state to have its own register of citizens Why was it necessary to bring out an NRC in Assam? The NRC is being updated in Assam to detect Bangladeshi nationals, who may have illegally entered the State after the midnight of March 24, 1971, the cut-off date. This date was originally agreed to in the 1985 Assam Accord, signed between the then Rajiv Gandhi government and the All Assam Students Union (AASU). In July 2009, Assam Public Works (APW), an’ NGO, petitioned the Supreme Court for identification of Bangladeshi foreigners in the State and deletion of their names from the voters list. When ’was it started? The application process started in May, 2015 and a total of 6.5 crore documents were received from 68.27 lakh families across Assam. What will happen to those persons who don’t find their names in the draft register published recently? The list published recently is the first draft of the updated NRC. Another list is expected by February-end or early March, with more names and details. However, if a citizen s name is missing, he or she can file an objection and request that the name be included after submitting the requisite documents to the NRC centre or online on the website www.nrcassam.’ nic.in Is there a possibility of violence in the State if a large number of people don’t find their names in the register? The Assam government did fear violence and hence requisitioned over 20,000 paramilitary personnel and requested the Army to be on standby to deal with any law-and-order issue. However, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said people, irrespective of their caste or religion, had taken part in the process and expressed confidence that the NRC update will not result in violence. The security challenge, however, will emerge only when the process of updating the NRC gets completed and a large number of people are left out. Is the NRC a court-mandated exercise? Yes, the publication of the first draft of the NRC by December 31, 2017 was ordered by the Supreme Court. The top court has been hearing this case since July 2009 when Assam Public Works moved court to intervene in detecting and deporting Bangladeshis. Should persons of Assam living in other parts of the country also have their names in the register? NRC is a process by which a bona fide Indian citizen can be distinguished from a foreigner. If a person from Assam is living or working in another part of the country, it is advisable to get oneself registered and establish one s legacy as an inhabitant of Assam. Political Inconsistency: ’ AGP has threatened to snap ties with BJP if the Centre grants citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis who have entered Assam illegally post-1971. About AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) Asom Gana Parishad is a state political party in Assam, India. The AGP was formed after the historic Assam Accord of 1985 when Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was elected as the youngest chief minister of the state. The AGP has formed government twice from 1985 to 1989 and from 1996 to 2001. Currently it is a part of North-East Regional Political Front consisting of political parties of the northeast which has supported the National Democratic Alliance (BJP government). Under what conditions was AGP formed? AGP was a result of a six-year-long Assam Agitation against illegal infiltration of foreigners from Bangladesh into Assam, led by All Assam Students Union (AASU). For years, people of Assam have been complaining against infiltration of illegal migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh (East Pakistan till 1972), as they feared that it is altering the demographic, social and economic make-up of the state. (Adapted from the Hindu) .