AASU & SAKP ask Hajela to keep eyes wide open

GUWAHATI, May 19: Now that the mammoth NRC update is drawing to a close, there are justifiable apprehensions that some unscrupulous elements, including mostly illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, might be knuckling down to defeat the very purpose of the update, which could have huge demographic, socio-political and economic ramifications for a State that has, for decades together, remained home to hordes of illegal Bangladeshis patronized by their vote-crazy political masters in the name of ‘minorities’ and a very perverse brand of ‘secularism’.

With the NRC update process entering its crucial stage, a joint team of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the Sadou Asam Karmachari Parishad (SAKP) has requested State NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela to keep his eyes wide open to keep negative forces at bay.

A team of the two organizations met Hajela on Saturday and told him that with the NRC update work reaching its final stage, a section may make all-out efforts to enter their names in the NRC by hook or by crook. Those who have already come to know that their names are not in included the NRC being updated now, may even try to derail the process, the team said.

While the AASU was led by its adviser-in-chief Samujjal Bhattacharjya, the SAKP was led by its president Basab Kalita.

After the meeting, Kalita said: “We’ve requested Hajela to follow the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in the NRC update work strictly. The names of those who have failed to submit concrete documents, especially married women, should be barred from entering the NRC. We fully rely on the integrity of the State Government employees who are engaged in the NRC update work. Yet, gauging the situation under which employees may come under influence, we appeal to them to work with total dedication and check all NRC documents minutely so that no foreigner can make it to it. By signing the Assam Accord, we’ve shouldered the burden of Bangladeshis who entered Assam before March 24, 1971. We can’t take the burden of any more Bangladeshis now.”

Samujjal Bhattacharjya said: “The verification process is going to be completed on May 31. A section of illegal migrants has been out to enter their names in the NRC by all means. I’ve requested Hajela to provide security cover to NRC officials working in far-flung areas in the State.”

Kalita and Bhattacharjya said the NRC coordinator has told them that the NRC update work is going on in accordance with the guidelines issued by the apex court. “Verification is based fully on documents, not on oral statements,” they quoted Hajela as telling them.