Adhivakta Parishad for legal and political battle on NRC

Special Correspondent

SILCHAR, March 17: Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad (ABAP), Cachar, in its recently organized public meeting took up the issue of NRC update, the process of which began from March 16. As reported earlier and as notified by the Centre, any citizen has to produce 16 documents in order to establish his or her bofide as citizen of the country. The process involving production of so many documents by any citizen has been described as complex and complicated. Cross opinions expressed at the conclave have expressed its apprehension about the very fate of NRC update.

 Atin Das, noted columnist and writer, who presided over the meeting at Banga Bhawan here, said update of NRC is no doubt welcome, but to make the process complicated cannot but be viewed with certain questions. What should Hindu Bengali refugees uprooted from East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, will get the citizenship? He reminded the Citizenship Act in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab was changed to grant citizenship to the Hindus displaced from West Pakistan.

 Atin Das strongly pleaded for amendment of the Citizenship Act for Assam to likewise accommodate the Bengali Hindu refugees. It was decided at the meeting that Adhivakta Parishad in coordition with different NGOs and organizations would form a central committee in order to examine all aspects of the process for update. Along with that the question of extending legal aid to any victim of harassment during the update also came up. Solutions would also be explored so that no citizen could be victimized and targeted for witch-hunting. With a view to provide necessary help to any one in respect of the update process, ‘NRC Justice’ centres would be setup in all the seven assembly constituencies of Cachar.

 Anil Chandra Dey, president of ABAP, Cachar, submitting his views before the assembly and recollecting the assurances of the tiol leaders including the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru after partition of the country said the issue of Hindu Bengali refugees found prominence in them. It is keeping in view such assurances that a bill is going to be introduced in the Parliament to take a decision regarding the granting of citizenship to all the refugees. The people of Barak Valley should unite and in coordition with those in Brahmaputra Valley raise their voice if any injustice was done.

 Kamalendu Bhattacharjee, former Congress MP, wondered how different laws could be there in different states. There should be uniformity and no discrimition was warranted between Assamese and Bengalis as well as tribals on the issue of granting citizenship. Nor was a substituted law for another could be a solution. Rather, it would create more complications and instead of a smooth and easy process, it would only result in chaos and confusion. Even the possibility of serious law and order problem cropping up could hardly be ruled out. In view of the seriousness of the issue, Bhattacharjee demanded pointed attention of the Centre.

 Santanu ik, North-East Secretary of ABAP, said a delegation of the Parishad would soon meet Prime Minister rendra Modi and Home Minister Rajth Singh in New Delhi and discuss with them the issue of Hindu Bengali refugees and their citizenship. He expected certain amendments in Citizenship Act. Rajdeep Roy, President of Bimolangshu Roy Foundation, was of the view that the people of Barak Valley and Brahmaputra Valley should be prepared for legal and political battle. Nihar Ranjan Roy, President of NGO Swajan, insisted there should be no cutoff date for the uprooted and displaced people from East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.

 Kabindra Purkayastha, former Union Minister and MP, said the issue of refugees was domint during the Assam agitation launched by AASU, but no solution was either discussed or evolved. It continued to hang on with both the Centre and the State maintaining intriguing silence on it. The consensus that emerged from the views of the speakers had a discordant note about the conspiracy against the Bengali speaking people as a whole in Assam. Bengalis have to be alert and awake to foil it.