Gorkhas hold sit-in over non-inclusion of names in NRC at Bokajan
A Correspondent
Bokajan: Along with the rest of the State, the Bokajan regional committee of Gorkhas All Assam Gorkha Students Union (AAGSU) hold a sit-in near the SDO(C) office in Bokajan demanding the unconditional inclusion of left out names of indigenous Gorkhas in the recently concluded NRC.
The demonstration was jointly organized in collaboration with the Axom Gorkha Sammelan and Assam Nepali Sahitya Sabha. The protesters also submitted a memorandum to the BJP national president Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, expressing their grievances and dissatisfactions relating to the verification processes. “The AAGSU and 28 other sister organization have been raising their voice in every issue related to Assam and have been demanding the implementation of all the clauses of Assam accord. However, it is unfortunate that around one lakh Gorkha people had been left out from the NRC list despite having valid Indian documents due to the biased attitude of the officers engaged in the verification process. The left out people includes family members of freedom fighters, martyrs of Assam movement and Ex-Army officials among others.” A press release from the organization stated.
The release also expressed regret that a number of cases are pending in the court of Foreigners Tribunal against many people of the community, which is rather a painful and economically distressing process for the poor Gorkhas. “The minister of home affairs, Government of India had clarified and re-asserted on October 10, 2018 through a notification issued to the government of Assam that the cases relate to the citizenship status of the Gorkhas that should not be referred to the Foreigners Tribunal and only those individuals who have come from certain specified territories like Bangladesh can be referred to FT courts.” The release added.