A catastrophic morning in Assam as final NRC list is out

Guwahati, Aug 31: It's a catastrophic morning for millions of Assamese Hindus and Muslims. Over 19 lakh people in Assam are out of the National Register of Citizens (NRC)'s final updated citizenship document released on Saturday.

The list perhaps sounds the death knell for citizenship of millions of people who have been living through moments of panic and tension, though those excluded have been assured that they will get a window of 120 days to prove their citizenship before their respective tribunal.

It is just a list for us, but for the people of Assam, this list proves that they are Indians, their existence. There were some people whose entire family are on the list except one, and some struggle for days at the foreigners' tribunal to prove that they are Indians, despite someone from their family giving his life to drive out illegals.

A 70-year-old woman in Assam's Tinsukia died of a stroke following her son and daughter in law were sent to a detention camp after the couple was declared Doubtful voter.

Har Kumar Goswami, a resident of Rampur in Barpeta district, had submitted legacy data of his father, whose name is mentioned in the 1951 NRC. His name made into the final draft NRC published on July 30, 2018. But during claims and objections, two members of the All Assam Student Union objected to inclusions in the draft list.

Amrit Das, 70, a resident of Barpeta Road in Barpeta District, was declared a foreigner on May 20, 2017. He was lodged in Goalpara detention centre where he died on April 6. He survived by his wife and three sons.

Using the citizenship certificate of his grandfather from 1951, Das's family had filed applications for inclusion of their names but failed to make it into the draft. Now, the entire family is anxious about losing their citizenship.

In the wake of NRC in Assam security has been beefed up across the state. Fifty-five companies of paramilitary forces have been flown from Jammu and Kashmir to Assam, with 14 districts being declared sensitive.

Meanwhile, Assam police have imposed Section 144 CrPC in several areas to maintain peace and public order during publication of the list and has also appealed to the people not to believe in rumours.

The NRC is being updated by the Registrar General of India as per the citizenship cut-off date of March 25, 1971, exclusive to the state, agreed by the Centre in its Accord with the students' body All Assam Students Union end a six-year-long anti-immigration agitation in 1985.