Inclusion of 10 lakh Bangladeshis frustrates NRC objective, Silchar

Special Correspondent

Silchar: “The very purpose of NRC update to include the names of genuine Indian citizens seems to have been frustrated with the inclusion of around 10 lakh Bangladeshis due mainly to underhand play of money,” pointed out Pradip Dutta Roy, former ACKHSA president and senior advocate of Gauhati High Court at a press-briefing on Thursday at his residence.

To buttress his point, he wondered how could the names of 95 per cent to 97 per cent applicants could make it to the second draft in the hotbeds of infiltration, known as the districts of Goalpara, Dhubri, Barpeta, Karimganj and Hailakandi. This is a burning example of the foreigners getting them enlisted, he said. “In all fairness, NRC has been a farcical exercise, admitted even in official circles in a hush-hush manner,” Dutta Roy stated. He demanded fresh update in the bordering districts of Assam and the infiltration zones not on random basis, but intensively. He however welcomed 10 per cent review of the names on the second draft by the Supreme Court. He was of the view NRC update should begin afresh. He was also in agreement with the chorus of political parties and different organizations, calling for removal of Prateek Hajela, state coordinator.

According to Dutta Roy, a high official of the Centre should be the coordinator and the employees from other states be deployed for fresh update. Various irregularities and anomalies that have cropped up in the draft are due to the engagement of unskilled and inexperienced employees. Bangladeshis could, as he said, enlist them by bribing these employees. It is well known that Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has been successful to a great extent in removing corruption from the higher echelons of state administration, but corruption is rampant in the lower level of administration. It is his assumption that foreigners got their names in the draft in lieu of money.

Former ACKHSA president Pradip Dutta Roy also wondered how AASU leaders could exult at the NRC update when it has completely side tracked the Assam Accord and its pious clauses. The dreams of 1000 martyrs who laid down their lives to free Assam from foreigners have been completely shattered. He held Prateek Hajela responsible for all the mess and questioned how he could go to the extent of excluding five of the fifteen documents for verification. He dubbed it as ‘unconstitutional and against the very verdict of the Supreme Court’.

Taking a dig at Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, for taking extraordinary interest in the NRC affairs of Assam, Pradip Dutta Roy advised her “not to meddle and create misunderstanding between Assamese and Bengalis who are capable of sorting out their problems”. He reminded Mamata Banerjee she should better initiate NRC process where 1 crore foreigners have infiltrated. These infiltrators earlier patronized by Congress and CPM are now the supporters of Trinamool Congress. The people of West Bengal are demanding NRC in order to weed out the aliens from the soil of her state. He questioned, “Will she dare to take the bold step or indulge in cheap politics for the sake of vote bank?”