On NRC And Its Implications

A controversial citizens’ list in India could potentially be used as cover to force Muslims out of the Northeastern State of Assam and ‘back’ to Bangladesh

- Priyanka Borpujari

As 2018 rolled in and the State of Assam in India’s Northeast began to roll delicacies made of rice and jaggery for the harvest festival of Bihu, one question opened small talk everywhere: ‘Is your name on the NRC?’ The NRC, or the National Register of Citizens, is being updated for the first time since 1951, and was the catalyst that brought the BJP into power in Assam in the 2016 elections. It thrived on anti-immigrant rhetoric, however, this rhetoric has largely taken on an anti-Muslim manifestation.

The NRC aims to separate ‘illegal’ immigrants from ‘legitimate’ residents of Assam. Those unable to prove they migrated before 1971 face the threat of deportation, languishing in detention camps, or losing voting rights. The first draft of the NRC was released on 1st January. It bore the names of 19 million Indian citizens living in Assam, out of 32.9 millions who had submitted their documents. The remaining 13.9 million cases are under various stages of verification. Some 550,000 documents have been sent to other states for verification, but those states have returned only around 150,000 of the documents to date.

Apprehensions Emerge