NRC Assam: Dispur Sends a Proposal for Panel of Secretaries to MHA

Tackling post-NRC situation

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The post-NRC situation in Assam is quite hazy now. This is at a time when less than two weeks are to go for the publication of the final National Register of Citizens of India. To make the post-National Register of Citizens of India situation clear, a confused Dispur has sent a proposal to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the formation of a committee to be named ‘committee of secretaries’ – comprising secretaries Union ministries and State government departments that are related to the National Register of Citizens of India. Response from the MHA is still to come.

Besides the MHA, some other Union ministries are also related to the NRC one way or the other, including the post-NRC situation. According to sources, the proposal is under the consideration of the MHA. In fact, the National Register of Citizens of India is a new experience and subject for the MHA as well. Such a citizenship document is found only in Assam, right from its inception in 1951. In 1951, around 80 lakh names were enrolled in the National Register of Citizens of India.

According to sources, Dispur is confused over the post-NRC situation that may face a number of lacunae, including some legal ones. In the absence of any clear-cut route map for it to follow, Dispur cannot simply grope in the dark in the post-NRC situation.

The only issue that is crystal clear by now is that the National Register of Citizens of India applicants who will not make it to the final NRC to be published on August 31, 2019, will be sent to the foreigners tribunals (FTs) or they themselves will move the FTs to ascertain if they are Indians or not.

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