Citizens’ forum demands enlistment of bonafide Indians in NRC

Silchar, July 20: United Forum for Citizens’ Right (UFCR) central committee has expressed serious concern at the ongoing NRC update which might result in lakhs of Bengalis, both Hindus and Muslims, being deprived of their fundamental right to get enlisted in NRC and eventually becoming stateless. In a press-meet held in the Forum’s office at Club Road, Baharul Islam Barbhuiya, chief convener, said NRC has become a burning issue in Assam today and it is suspected that there is a conspiracy to exclude the Bengalis from the update.
The Bengalis have been living in Assam since time immemorial. But, the administration is trying to erase the history and culture of the community from Assam through the update. He further said after partition, lakhs of Bengalis, both Hindus and Muslims, have migrated to many parts of India and have been accorded citizenship rights with the sole exception of Assam. The state administration has not yet released the 1951 NRC data for which many residents have not been able to trace their legacy data.
Owing to the complicated and complex modalities and also the intricate application form, till date only 16 percent people of the valley which includes the three districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi have been able to submit their forms as stated by Baharul Islam Barbhuiya. He recollected that in the year 1950, Cachar Voters’ Association was formed to raise awareness among the people of the valley so that more names could be inducted into the voters’ lists. Nibaran Chandra Laskar, Satindra Mohan Dev, Bidyabadi Singha, Tarapada Bhattacharjee, Dwarika Nath Tiwari and Jyostna Chanda were among the eminent citizens associated with the campaign.
Forum leader Baharul Islam Barbhuiya said the names of those people which were enrolled in the voters’ lists of 1950 were inducted in the 1951 NRC. But shockingly there is no trace of 1951 NRC data in the internet or in the related official records. The Forum also demanded that the last date for form submission be extended beyond July 31. The Forum intends to conduct awareness camps throughout the valley in order to make people aware of the ongoing NRC update. Besides the Forum chief convener, other members present at the press-meet included Raju Barbhuiya, Fayzul Haque Mazarbhuiya, Arun Kumar Deb, Mustafa Ahmed Choudhury and Abdul Kadir. (Source:SentinelAssam)

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