‘NRC a death knell for indigenous people’

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, June 19: At a time when the stage is almost set for the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with the deadline of June 30 approaching fast, the Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha (ASM) has alleged that the NRC would sound a death knell for the indigenous people of the State, and demanded that it should include the names of only the indigenous people of the State.

Addressing mediapersons, ASM working president Matiur Rahman stated that the voters lists from 1951 to 1971 have names of more than 70 lakh illegal Pakistani (East) citizens. Among them are both Hindus and Muslims whose mother tongue is Bengali. The lists also included the names of Indian citizens who settled here carrying on various vocations at different points of time, he added.

Quoting official statistics, Rahman said the indigenous people in the State constitute a mere 42 per cent of the total population, and pointed out that once the NRC is published, the number of the indigenous people would go up by just 10 to 15 per cent.

Directing his attack at the organizations seeking the NRC, Rahman said that as a result of the updated NRC the names of foreigners would get mixed up with those who are really indigenous to the State. Demanding that the NRC should include the names of only the bona fide indigenous Assamese people, Rahman further apprehended that otherwise the NRC would go against the local people.