The BJP led government at the Centre started the process of creating National Register of Citizens (NRC) that has its roots in Assam Accord 1985. The cause of action for NRC arose to arrest the insurge of refugees, from the adjoining nation, Bangladesh. The list of NRC was published four months back which made nearly 19 lakh people stateless since their names were not found in the NRC of which 11 lakhs in Assam are Bengali Hindus, which the BJP did not expect. The future of those stateless humans is in peril due to many flaws in the process, that was directed and overseen by the Supreme Court with the active participation of Central and State Government.
When the position of the list of NRC remains as such, the Centre has expressed that it is prepared to re-introduce the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in Parliament. The Bill envisages the grant of India in Citizenship to all the refugees from the minority communities (non Muslims) of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The proposed Bill will discriminate and exclude Muslim refugees from the rest which is a blatant violation of the right to equality and equal protection before the law as adumbrated in Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. Such a move by the government will create its negative impact in the minds of the Indian citizens of the country belonging to Muslim religion. In the name of giving protection to the foreign minorities (non Muslims), the rulers cause fear among the indigenous minorities (Muslims). It is not much difficult to understand that the move is a deliberate attempt to alienate the indigenous Muslims. The rulers proclaim that they are super nationalists interested in the unity of the country. But how would it be possible by excluding one section as a stock with indifference? It is the manifestation move on the part of saffron rulers to bring the country as ‘one nation and one religion’ principle of Hindutva.
Recently the union Home Minister has announced at the floor of the Parliament that the NRC process will be carried out nationwide.
The raison de etere of Assam Accord was due to the inflow of people from the then newly formed nation, Bangladesh from the erstwhile eastern territory of Pakistan. Owing to the war held between the forces of India and Pakistan in 1971, the exodus of refugees from Bangladesh was challenging. Assam Accord was signed in 1985 to streamline regulate and control the insurge of refugees into India for which the cut-off date for the residentship was marked as March 25, 1971. The cause of action of NRC process in Assam was like this, the relevance of nationwide NRC is not purposeful. Whom the nationwide process tries to make stateless. It is really an unwanted exercise. When the country is facing many challenges on economy front, the Union Government is adament on this meaningless exercise, causing grave concern for the citizens, the majority of whose livelihood is in peril. Day today basis, the economic indicators exhibit the record breaking slowdown, unprecedented in the near longer span.
The Home Minister has stressed the NRC process will again be conducted in Assam along with the nationwide exercise. The combined effect of NRC and CAB would definitely alienate the Muslims from the country who derive pride in living with Indianhood. Let the Union government shed down its adamancy over non priority issue when the grave issues are pending unattended from its earlier tenure onwards. The duty of the government is to protect its people and not to create fear psychosis in their minds with the embedded threat of exclusion from the national fabric!
