The ongoing process of updating the National Register of Citizens in Assam may not be able to meet January 15 deadline set by the Supreme Court due to flood, which has paralysed the process in some of
The ongoing process of updating the National Register of Citizens in Assam may not be able to meet January 15 deadline set by the Supreme Court due to flood, which has paralysed the process in some of the districts.
Admitting that the ongoing process and guidelines for inclusion of names in the NRC was also creating unrest among a large number of ethnic adivasis and tribal groups, including those Indian citizens who migrated to Assam after 1971, authoritative security sources in the home ministry told this newspaper that Centre has not received any memorandum from the state government requesting changes in the guideline for inclusion of names in NRC.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi had announced that his government was going to ask the Centre for including the names of all those figure in 2014 voters list should be included in the NRC.
According to the guideline of the home ministry, only those whose names figure in 1951 NRC or voter list of 1971 and their decedents can get their name included in the NRC.
It is significant that process of updating the NRC has created serious confusion among some of the tribal groups and adivasis who are finding it difficult in establishing their linkages. Clarifying that the home ministry has not received any representation or proposal from Mr Gogoi to treat the current voters list as an additional document for inclusion of name in the NRC, sources said that they are open to the suggestion of the state.
Meanwhile, the Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association has demanded unconditional inclusion of names of the members of adivasis and other communities within tea estates in the NRC.
The ATTSA had also organised a statewide blockade to mount pressure on government to include the name of all the members of tea-tribe community in the NRC.
