India Effectively Strips Four Million Of Citizenship In Assam

Indian government on Monday effectively stripped four million people in Assam of citizenship, sparking fears of mass deportations of Muslims from the northeastern state.

The draft National Register of Citizens (NRC), published on Monday, includes only those able to prove they were in Assam before 1971 when millions fled Bangladesh’s war of independence into the state.

Critics say it is the latest move by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advance the rights of India’s Hindu majority at the expense of its many minorities.

More than 30 million people had applied to be included on the list, of whom just over four million were excluded from the draft published on Monday, said Shailesh, the registrar general of India, who uses one name.

“No genuine Indian citizens need to worry as there will be ample opportunities given to them to enlist their names in the final NRC,” he told a news conference in Assam’s biggest city Guwahati.

He said those wishing to appeal could do so under “well-laid-down procedures” starting August 30. The definitive NRC is due to be finalised in December.

“We are going to provide assistance to anyone whose names are not included in the document and whoever wishes to file a claim and objection in this regard,” Shailesh added.





Disclaimer: Stories culled and pictures posted on this blog will be given due credit and is not the fault of drifternews.blogspot.com if website culled from misrepresents source of story.