Assam to update citizenship register soon

With large-scale illegal immigration from Bangladesh seen as the root cause for the clashes in Assam, the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government of the state has finally woken up to the challenge as the government has expressed its “keenness” to update National Register of Citizenship (NRC) within next three years.

The 1951 NRC of Assam will be updated on the basis of the voter-list of 1971. It is believed that update of NRC will help detect illegal settlers in Assam; an issue which has been raging fire for years in the state.

The Assam government had in 2010 initiated a pilot-project for update of NRC in the state. However, due to violent protest from All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU), the same had to be put in abeyance. This time too, it is expected that pro-infiltration organisations would try to create roadblocks for update of NRC.

 

“Updating of NRC has been in the midst of controversy for many years. We have now decided to take up the update work on priority basis,” said Tarun Gogoi, chief minister of Assam, to media-persons.

Gogoi said that in the first phase, update work will be undertaken in 42, out of 126 constituencies, and rest of constituencies in another two phases. Gogoi blamed “external forces” to be behind the recent clashes in Bodoland. He said there were some forces trying to wedge a communal divide among people and blamed political parties like BJP, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and organisations like AAMSU for working on similar lines.

He also asked political parties and organisations not to call bandhs for one month as that might further deteriorate the law and order situation in Assam.As Assam witnessed large-scale violence and mayhem on the streets by AAMSU supporters on Tuesday during the 12-hour bandh called by the organisation, the state government had yesterday banned bandhs for one month.

Meanwhile, there has been no incident of violence for more than 48 hours in violence-affected districts.