National Registration of Citizens (NRC) was first published
in Assam in 1951 and has been the most discussed and contentious issues in
Assam since then. NRC is a registration contains vivid details of all Indian
citizens and has been bringing up anxiety amongst the people waiting for the
final result to drip out. However, the 1951 bill was based on the census of
that year and has been revised around twice since then.
What is the
purpose of NRC?
This time the revised list is not based on the census but to
maintain the stability amongst the raging bloodshed across the state. It is a
must to register for this vital citizenship tag since there have been spine
breaking protests that have led to massive violence since the 1970s over the
issue of illegal infiltrations. These migrants are mostly from Bangladesh where
the central ministry has imposed maximum security across its borders.
This NRC list would be updating and the final list of names
would come out on Saturday which is a major necessity for the people residing
in the area. This step has been taken to comply with the demands in the Assam
Accord signed in the year 1985 by Rajiv Gandhi and other leaders of the Assam
Movement.
More about
the citizenship bill
As per Section 6A of the Act in 1955, people who came from
Bangladesh between 1966 and 1971 have been mandated to register themselves with
the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer only then their names would be
included in the NRC list. This Act forbids those people from voting rights for
10 years from the date of registration.
How to apply for inclusion in the NRC?
To apply for inclusion, the residing person should come up
with one’s or ancestor’s name in the 1951 NRC list or in any of the voter list
up to the date of 24th March 1971. This cut-off date was declared
by the Assam Accord. Moreover, if the applicant’s name is not found in the
list, one can produce any of the 12 other documents dated up to March 24, 1971.
This document could be of land, tenancy, residential certificate, passport,
court records, refuge registrations or the citizenship certificate. The final date
has been decided as of March 24, 1971, since it marked the Bangladesh Liberation
War.
Furthermore, if the applicant’s ancestor’s name is found in
the list, he/she has to provide the proof of his relationship with the ancestor
through the board or university certificates, ration cards or any other legally
acceptable document.
Who is not
eligible to apply for the NRC?
Citizens of India from another state moving to Assam after
the specified date are not eligible for the application of the inclusion. But the
citizen is free to vote.
What about
those who have been left out of the list?
The centre approves that the people whose names fail to
appear in the final list of NRC they cannot be declared as foreigners till
until all other legal options are inept to perform. These people can further
apply for an appeal to the Foreigners Tribunal. The time limit to appeal would
be extended from 60-120 days.
For this, the Home Ministry opened up at least 1000 tribunals
set up in multiple areas to hear such cases. 100 have been opened while 200
more would be set up in the first week of September.
People who still lose the tribunal they have the right to
approach the high court and then the Supreme Court. Not even a single person would
be sent to detention centres until all other legal options fail to operate.
"They (whose names don't appear in NRC) will be allowed
to present their case before the Foreigners Tribunal. The state government has
said those left out of the NRC will not be detained under any circumstances
until the tribunal declares them foreigners," said the Home Ministry
officer, who asked not to be named.
The district legal services authority provides legal aid to
the people whose names are left out of the NRC.
How does this affect
BJP?
BJP is now concerned over a big list of Bengali Hindus left
out of the list hence the Home Ministry has come to a conclusion of removing
foreigners entering the list and adding up genuine citizens of Assam who are
left out. This list comes with daunting stress for the party since Assam’s
population consists of a large number of Hindus that proportionally add up to the majority of its voters. These voters include tribes, Assamese and both Hindus
and Bengali Hindus.
When will the list
come out?
The final list of NRC would be published at 10 am on Saturday online. This final list is released after the first list of NRC from last year. Last year’s list didn’t trace names of 41 lakh people.