CRPC condemns 'harassment' of Bengalis in NRC update

 From Our Correspondent

 Silchar, April 23: Citizens’ Rights Preservation Committee (CRPC) ,Assam expressed its deep anguish and concern in the manner and process in which the tiol Register of Citizen (NRC) update is going on and the definition of “son of the soil” as put forwarded by different organisations of Assam.   Bidhayak Das Purkayastha, general secretary, CRPC, Assam alleged that the motive behind all movements in the past mely : Anti Bengali Movement of 1952, Language Movement of 1961, Medium of Instruction Movement of 1972, Bongal Kheda Movement of 1979, Anti IMDT Movement of 1990s,  among others, prove the domiting attitude of a larger section of the Assamese people; which resulted in the disintegration of Meghalaya and Mizoram and creation of  BTAD within the state of Assam.

 “The linguistic and religious minorities of Assam are the worst victims of the chauvinistic forces till date. The watchword of all these movements is the cleaning of Bengali speaking community of Assam by hook or crook. The partition of Sylhet in Assam between India and Pakistan is one of the darkest chapters in Indian history for which the Bengalis are in no way responsible. Then why they are targeted in their own motherland,” said Das Purkayastha.  He pointed out that the very process of preparation of NRC has virtually denied the rights of citizenship by birth as stated in Section 3 of the Citizenship Act,1955 (amended in 2003). Quoting the provisions of the act, he said that according to this act : Every person born – (a) on or after the 26th day of January 1950, but before the 1st day of July 1987;  (b) on or after the 1st day of July 1987 but before the commencement of the Citizenship (Amended) Act,2003 and either of whose parents is a citizen of India at the time of his birth;  (c) on or after the commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act,2003 where – (i) both of his parents are citizens of India; or (ii) one of whose parents is a citizen of India and the other is not an illegal migrant at the time of his birth – is entitled to be a citizen of India by birth. Is this not a violation of Constitutiol Rights.  “ It has been observed that every citizen while applying for NRC update will have to prove his or her citizenship confirming the inclusion of his or her me or me of forefather in the list of NRC 1951 or any other voters’ lists up to 24th March 1971 is one of the vital criteria among the 15 enlisted documents. Though the government knows and admitted that all these lists – NRC of 1951, voter list of 1971 or prior to it are not in the possession of the government in total, many of them have been damaged or lost due to many reasons; yet the government is carrying out the NRC updating works based on these documents,” he fumed.

  The CRPC general secretary alleged that the service centres opened in various parts of Assam are not able to provide the citizens with the voters’ lists as per their requirements. 

Top Headlines

No stories found.
Sentinel Assam
www.sentinelassam.com