89% of Those Excluded from NRC Suffering from 'Extreme Anxiety'

Guwahati, August 24, 2019:

In a shocking (but not entirely unexpected revelation), it has been discovered that about 89% who have been excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) are suffering from anxiety.

This staggering figure has been revealed by a survey by the National Campaign Against Torture (NCAT) has revealed.

The NCAT conducted a field survey on the mental health of the NRC-excluded in Baksa, Goalpara and Kamrup districts from July 16 to 20.

The report, “Assam’s NRC: Four Million Tales of Mental Torture, Trauma and Humiliation” was released on Friday.

According to the survey, off the 91 respondents interviewed, 81 said they had been suffering from extreme anxiety due to the fear of deportation and of separation from family members. Their woes are further compounded by a lack of money to appear before the Foreigners’ Tribunals or approach the Gauhati High Court and the Supreme Court. Nine others were found to be suffering from moderate anxiety and one from mild anxiety.

This translates into 89% of the respondents suffering from extreme anxiety, 10% from moderate and 1% from mild anxiety. According to the report, this is leading to sleep disorder, appetite loss, affecting thought process and work, and causing a feeling of shame and isolation.

If these figures are taken as the standard, it could be deduced that of the 41,10,169 persons who stand excluded from the draft NRC at present, it can be said 36,99,152 persons are suffering from extreme anxiety and 4,11,017 from mild anxiety.

The NCAT report also pointed out that mental torture had forced at least 31 persons to commit suicide since July 2015 after being excluded from the NRC.

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