In the north-eastern state of Assam, peoples’ lives are being transformed overnight into a living nightmare, as many of them are being classified as illegal immigrants since their names are not part of the National Register of Citizens(NRC). The case of Syrian refugees, the Rohingyas and so many other ethnic minorities who had been rendered stateless in the past and have suffered through countless atrocities till date are proof of the dangerously terrifying outcomes that numerous Assamese people might have to live through.
The NRC is a list, containing names of people, proving that they came to the state by 24 March 1971, the day before neighboring Bangladesh declared independence from Pakistan and are hence, granted citizenship. Those people, whose names haven’t been included, have 120 days to file an appeal against their exclusion from the list. While deportation is not really an option for India, what happens after people are declared as illegal immigrants, seems to be unclear at the moment.
Presently, hate crimes such as witch hunts against the ethnic minorities have been witnessed. Many people, having been declared as illegal immigrants, have been forced into detention centers with extremely uninhabitable conditions. While some believe this as necessary to ensure that only citizens have access to the rights bestowed upon them by the Constitution, many have claimed this to be an attempt to further alienate the Muslim community, the second highest in India in the state of Assam, after Kashmir.
The outcome may be unknown at the moment, but let’s just hope and pray for the Assamese people. Through it all, may peace and unity continue to be the banners of strength we uphold as a nation!
-By Ana S. Thomas
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