NRC: 25 lakh seek relook, many of bogus in, genuine out

July 20, 2019

New Delhi:  After nearly 41 lakh people in Assam were left out of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), about 25 lakh people have sent a petition to the Centre for re-verification and it is under the consideration of the Union Home Ministry.

Many genuine names have been left out and many bogus names are registered, a highly placed source in the Home Ministry said.

The Home Ministry has laid down the modalities for Foreigners’ Tribunals in Assam to deciding appeals made by people not satisfied with the outcome of claims and objections filed against the NRC.

The Ministry had in May issued an order mandating the Foreigners’ Tribunals in Assam to deliver verdict of any case related to those people whose names could be excluded from the final list of NRC within four months, said the source.

“The government’s intention is to ensure no illegal immigrant is registered under the NRC. Foreigner tribunals are handling issues to curb illegal stay of foreigners in India,” said the source, privy to the development.

In the draft lists published in July 2018 and June this year, around 41 lakh people have been excluded. Around 36 lakh people have filed claims against their exclusion and objections have been filed against two lakh inclusions.

The hearings for these claims and objections are underway at various NRC centres.

All those identified as illegal immigrants under this process will have to be deported, as per the resolve of the government.

The government on Friday told the Supreme Court that India “cannot afford to become the refugee capital in the world”, as it sought more time to re-verify the inclusions and exclusions in the NRC draft list.

The NRC, first published in Assam in 1951, is being updated as per directions of the Supreme Court to segregate Indian citizens living in Assam from those who have illegally entered the state from Bangladesh after March 25, 1971.

There was a major uproar earlier as a decorated former Indian Army officer Mohammad Sanaullah, was among those excluded from the draft NRC list.

The 52-year-old army veteran was sent to a detention camp. He was granted bail by the Guwahati High Court on June 7.

While the government has resolved to deport all the illegal immigrants identified under the NRC exercise, it will have to be seen how lakhs of people can be sent to Bangladesh, which has always maintained that none of its citizens have moved to India illegally.

In all probability, they will first be lodged in detention camps within Assam.

After the first draft NRC list was published, the then Home Minister Rajnath Singh had visited Dhaka to brief his counterpart on the contours of the exercise.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has  asked the Centre, Assam government and the State Coordinator appointed for National Register for Citizens (NRC)  to work in coordination.

in Assam, are apparently working in silos instead of sharing information.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi orally voiced its scepticism on the contention for re-verification of the data. The Centre and Assam sought extension to cross-check “invalid inclusions and exclusions” in and from the draft NRC published on July 30, 2018.

They argued for 20 per cent sample re-verification of names included on the draft list in districts bordering Bangladesh and 10 per cent for the remaining districts.

This contention for re-verification has a major implication on the NRC proceeding and the issues, inclusion and exclusion of names, at stake affect a large number of people in Assam.

This issue was blown-up in an extensive debate pinned at the validity of data in the draft NRC.

The Chief Justice argued the reports filed by NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela said re-verification was an integral part of the process, and it seems, it has already done during the disposal of claims in the NRC process.

“His (Hajela) report says while disposing of claims, 80 lakh names have been re-verified, which is tentatively 27 per cent names have been verified. You ask for 20 per cent and seek extension for the same… where is the requirement for this re-verification. If we are satisfied then what is the need for sample re-verification?” said the Chief Justice, who is at discretion to decide on the matter.

Delving further into this issue, the Chief Justice observed the absence of a channel to relay information between the government and the coordinator; therefore, the parties apparently appear on a different footing.

Though, the Solicitor General intended to buoy the argument by claiming India cannot afford to become capital of refugee in the world, and to avoid this, re-verification is mandatory.

“Apparently, there are more wrong inclusions on the list due to corrupt practices by lower level officers. Therefore, we need re-verification.”

Mehta had argued vehemently, highlighting the gravity of the matter and indicating that maybe coordinator is not aware of the ground reality. Though, the court was not moved.

Instead, the Chief Justice recommended the government and coordinator to exchange reports on the matter and work in tandem.

The court also asked Hajela to redact paragraphs of the reports, which do not strictly deal with re-verification before handing over to Mehta. Meanwhile, Hajela claimed his office can publish the supplementary lists on July 31, containing the latest inclusion and exclusion incorporated after the claims and objections stage, followed by a consolidated list within a month

IANS