Gorkha Organization Demands "Free and Fair" NRC

Gorkha

Guwahati, July 9, 2019:

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangha today suggested that the Ministry of Home Affairs, of the Government of India and the Election Commission of India, should adopt a mechanism to solve the 'D-Voter' issue without references for "free and fair" NRC in Assam.

A delegation led by its Assam State President N N Upadhyay and National Secretary (Youth Affairs) Nanda Kirati Dewan joined by VP Dr. Dilip Chhetri and state women cell president Lakshmi Subedi called on Prateek Hajela, State Co-ordinator National Registrar of Citizens , Assam at his office on Monday evening and discussed in details issues raised by BhaGoPa.

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In a statement released today, Nanda Kirati Dewan said, "State Co-ordinator NRC informed Gorkha delegation that NRC decides based on the merit of the applicant and documents available for reference. NRC doesn't consider the background of any individual in its upgradation process however in special cases when brought to their notice is resolved on merit during the hearing process and the process in on."

During the interaction the NRC Chief cleared that NRC cannot reconsider D- Voters marked cases even if the legacy person or a family member are not a D Voter and has sufficient linkage document, which is one of the key reference document in NRC process. Data suggest that most cases of exclusion in the recent list are either D Voter, Pending at Foreigner Tribunal (PFT) or Declared Foreigner (DF) along with Legacy mismatch. There are D Voters without reference and isolated cases.

"D- Voters cases like that of Manju Devi granddaughter of freedom fighter and President of Assam Association in 1921 who has no records of reference either with Border Police or Foreigner Tribunal should be solved by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India and Election Commission of India taking all stakeholders", Dewan appealed to the Union of India in today's statement.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangha again repeated and raised mechanism suggested that an empowered special screening committee comprising of competent authorities of the Assam Police (Border), Election Commission of India (ECI), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), State Home Department, Registrar General of India and NRC authority should thoroughly screen of existing D Voter cases who has either not been served notice by FT or no reference in Foreigner Tribunal. Once found satisfactory, the screening committee should issue a DV Clearance Certificate (so that his/her name can be included in final NRC). The same DVCC should be validated by Members of Foreigner Tribunal so that in event of case opened in a later date, the DVCC by the special screening committee is accepted to close the case. This was also presented to the State NRC co-ordinator in its memorandum in the meeting on Monday.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangha and it's Assam State Unit will meet the Election Commission of India on D Voters issue which has largely affected the NRC upgradation process and place the mechanism before the commission for consideration. The delegation will also call on Home Secretary and Joint Secretary (NE), MHA Government of India with its proposal soon.