Citizenship Bill Priority of Government, not NRC: Upamanyu Hazarika

Guwahati, November 21, 2019:

Senior advocate and activist from Assam, Upamanyu Hazarika, has stated that Amit Shah's announcement of a new NRC, demonstrates that the Citizenship Bill to be introduced and passed in Parliament next week is the over-riding priority for the Assam Government.

Hazarika said that it is yet another promise of NRC simply to divert attention of the people.

ALSO READ: Meghalaya MP Agatha Sangma Ties the Knot

"The Union Home Minister has also said that those left out of present NRC will be provided legal assistance, in fact upholding the present NRCs validity and which doesn’t mean that it will be scrapped" Hazarika opined.

Hazarika alleged that Sarma’s statement is intended to sow confusion ahead of the introduction of the Citizenship Bill, a Bill granting Scheduled Tribe status to 6 communities in Assam was introduced.

The NRC Data in Assam has already been compiled both on a 1951 and 1971 cut off year basis and even today the present NRC which is on 1971 basis can be easily converted to a 1951 as the data has already been compiled and is available.

What NRC in Assam needs is a re-verification of a large number of foreigners included in the NRC, particularly in the migrant dominated and border districts and which is an exercise, which the Government can carry out on its own, but not doing.

ALSO READ: Shiv Sena to Form Govt in Maharashtra with Congress & NCP: Report

He alleged that Sarma’s statement is only meant to divert the attention of the people of Assam from the core issue of Citizenship Amendment Bill and yet another empty promise just to get CAB passed without protests.

Hazariks stated that Sarma says that the cut off date for Assam should be the same as the rest of the country, which under Article 6 of the Constitution of India is 19 July 1948. "If Dr Sarma is sincere then he and his government will first revise and recall 53 pages submissions of the Assam Government before Supreme Court on 01 May 2017, in Mahasangha case supporting 1971 cut off date and opposing 1951", he said.

"Otherwise nothing stops the Central Government from repealing Clause 6A, of the Citizenship Act which provides for 1971 as the cut off year for Assam, in which event the cut off year for Assam becomes 19 July 1948 like the rest of the country, but this is not what the Home Minister has said."

Hazarika added that whether the date is 1951 or 1971 will not make a significant difference, because any foreigner entering into Assam after 1951 who gives birth to multiple generations of children all of them virtually up to December 2004 will get citizenship by birth, under the CAB.

"Unless, the cut off date for grant of citizenship by birth is also shifted from 3rd December 2004 to 1951, it will not make any material difference", he opined.

Support Inside Northeast (InsideNE), an independent media platform that focuses on Citizen-centric stories from Northeast India that are surprising, inspiring, cinematic and emotionally relevant.