A curious and somewhat critical scenario has emerged in Assam following publication of the second and final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Pleas of over 40 lakh people out of the over 2.30 crore applications for citizenship or regularisation of stay have been rejected. This means a humanitarian crisis of big proportions is close at hand. These are people who were presumed to have migrated to India from Bangladesh over the past many years and their children were probably born and brought up in this country. After criticism from opposition parties and protests from the state, the NRC has said that this is not the final list and further amendments and inclusion of names are possible. All the same, the desperation of such a large mass of people – mostly Moslems – is all too palpable in the aftermath of this list release.
What adds to their desperation is loose talk by some ruling BJP leaders that those who could not prove their citizenship rights would be deported to Bangladesh. The BJP led state government has said that, at present, it has no such intention. Tension however is building up mainly in the southern regions of Assam and security forces are being sent to sensitive areas to keep the situation under control.
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Notably, Assam is the only state to have a national register of its citizens – since 1951. This was much before the start of the Liberation struggle in (what was then) East Pakistan from 1971. The struggle saw brutal repression by the Pakistan military, and resultant massive influx of people to India. It was India’s choice to have allowed such a large mass of people to come in and set up homes in Assam, as also West Bengal. The flow of migrations from Bangladesh continued without any hindrance until recently, also for the reason that India offered better means of livelihood. Recent years saw Bangladesh progressing on the back of its oil wealth and political stability. All the same, those who have set up homes in India and carried on with life for generations are not in a mood to go back. They now claim to be Indians by all means and have been used as vote banks by various political parties through the years.
The issue of illegal migrations had taken on both economic and political colours. The original inhabitants of Assam, largely tribal populations, feel their opportunities for jobs and other means of livelihood have been shrinking due to the mass influx. The BJP, now in power in the state and at the Centre, has not kept a secret as to where its sympathies lay. In fact, it is seen to have opened another front against Moslems in this context.
The issue of illegal migrations to Assam has been hanging fire for long. Updating of the NRC was part of a tripartite agreement signed between the Assam government, the state and the All Assam Students Union (AASU) in 2005. This was also integral to the implementation of the 1985 Assam Accord involving these three entities at the height of a massive student protest movement against illegal immigrations. A 2009 push in this respect with the involvement of the Supreme Court saw over 3.29 crore people applying for citizenship by way of updating of the NRC. Of these, the second and final draft has acknowledged the citizenship rights of about 2.89 crore. The rest have been left in the lurch.
Expectations are that both the state government and Centre would not run roughshod over the hopes and aspirations of the migrants or the rest of those who are not in a position to prove their right to citizenship. They are on the fault-line of generations of drift on the part of the Indian authorities. The failure on the part of India for long years to check uncontrolled infiltrations from the eastern side – to Assam, West Bengal, and other states in the vicinity — was a criminal neglect. It requires a sane assessment of situations and a compassionate approach to settle the humanitarian crisis in a just manner.
