Biased Concern over NRC

On the eve of final publication of NRC in Assam, the Government is very eager to help people whose names do not exist in it with all legal and financial help. Also the government has decided to set up 300 foreigners tribunals (FTs) and extend the time for moving an FT to prove his/her Indian citizenship from 60 days to 120 days if his name is not found in the final NRC etc. We have no reasons to object the help of the government promised to offer to a genuine Indian citizen whose name does not figure in the final NRC. We do not object the government’s announcement that nonexistence of a person’s name in the NRC does not mean that he/she is a foreigner. But we have adequate reasons to object when the government is silent about persons who have entered their names in the NRC by fraudulent means, mostly by using the legacy data of other persons. Why has not the government announced at the same time that persons who have entered their names in the NRC by fraudulent means will be excluded from the citizens' list and punished?

A few days ago the government and the BJP were very worried that many illegal migrants near the borders areas had entered their names illegally in the NRC. Has the government not seen such illegal migrants before the preparation of the NRC? The Supreme Court also gave adequate time to the Government and the people to complain against if genuine citizens were left out of the NRC and also if illegal migrants fraudulently entered their names in the NRC.

But the government left such tasks to the people. It took no measures for the purpose. People cannot investigate and point out names of the persons who had entered their names in the NRC without the risk of their lives. But the Government has power, money, police force, army and others for this purpose. However, the government chose to remain silent and inactive. Now our question is: how has the government come to large-scale exclusion of genuine citizens from the NRC that has not been published as yet. Has it got some leaked information? The government was totally inactive and silent when it could have helped NRC authorities with relevant information well ahead of time. But it did not do anything like that. It did not help the NRC authority as desired.

Now we are feeling that our Government is posing itself as a super authority over and above the Supreme Court. It is also true no government in the world can make hundred per cent error-free NRC at the first instance.

Paramananda Bora,

Bhetapara, Guwahati.

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