COVID-19 update: Release people from detention camps, says SC in a notice to Assam govt.

GUWAHATI: The Supreme Court has issued a notice to Assam government asking it to release people in detention centres as it might cause spread of coronavirus.

The plea submitted by voluntary organization ‘Justice and Liberty Initiative’ on March 25 demanded the release of those people who have completed two years in those camps.

According to reports there are 988 persons lodged in six detentions centres in the state.

So far 30 people have died in the camp so far.

Around 1.9 million people in the north-eastern state of Assam were excluded when India published the state’s final National Register of Citizens (NRC) list in August. It may be mentioned that those excluded from the register will have to appeal to prove they are citizens.

Meanwhile, the UN and other international rights groups have expressed concern that many could be rendered stateless.

The citizenship list is part of a drive to detect illegal immigrants in Assam.

The Indian government claims that the migrants have arrived from neighbouring Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

It is to be noted that those appealing to be put on the register will need to provide documentation, such as birth certificates, dating back decades.

Furthermore, the Government sources say those excluded from the list retain their rights and have 120 days to appeal at local “Foreigners Tribunals”. If that fails, they can take their cases to the High Court of Assam and ultimately the Supreme Court. What happens to those who fail at all levels of appeal is yet to be decided, they said.

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