Final NRC excludes 19 lakh applicants

The much-awaited updated final National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam was released on August 31, excluding the names of more than 19 lakh applicants.

A total of 3,30,27,661 people had applied to be included in the NRC. Of them, 3,11,21,004 have been included in the document and 19,06,657 excluded, a statement from the NRC state coordinator’s office said.

The status of both inclusion and exclusion can be viewed online in the NRC website.

The hard copies of the supplementary list of inclusions are available for public viewing at the NRC Seva Kendras, offices of the deputy commissioner and offices of the circle officer during office hours, the statement said.

Any person who is not satisfied with the outcome can file an appeal before the Foreigners Tribunals within 120 days.

The state government had earlier said that those left out of the NRC will not be detained under any circumstances until the Foreigners Tribunals declare them as foreigners.

The names of 1.9 crore people were published as part draft NRC on December 31, 2017.

In July 30 last year, the complete draft was released, excluding more than 40 lakh of 2.9 crore people. An additional 1,02,462 people were excluded in June this year, taking the total ineligible persons to 41,10,169.

The process of NRC updation started in the state following an order of the Supreme Court in 2013. Since then, the apex court has been closely monitoring the entire process.

Assam, which has faced an influx of people from Bangladesh since the early 20th century, is the only state having an NRC that was first prepared in 1951. It is for the first time since then that the NRC has been updated.

Timeline

1950: Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act comes into force following an influx of refugees from East Pakistan to Assam after partition.

1951: First Census of Independent India conducted. Based on the Census, the first NRC compiled.

1957: Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act repealed.

1964-65: Influx of refugees from East Pakistan due to disturbances in that country.

1971: Fresh influx due to riots and war in East Pakistan. Independent Bangladesh comes into existence.

1979-85: Six-year-long Assam agitation, spearheaded by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) for detection, disenfranchisement and deportation of foreigners.

1983: Massacre at Nellie in Central Assam which claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people. Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act passed.

1985: Assam Accord signed by the Centre, the state, AASU and AAGSP in the presence of the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. It stated, among other clauses, that foreigners who came to Assam on or after March 25, 1971 shall be expelled.

1997: Election Commission decides to add ‘D’ (doubtful) against names of voters whose claim to Indian citizenship is doubtful.

2005: Supreme Court strikes down IMDT Act as unconstitutional. Tripartite meeting among the Centre, state government and AASU decides to update the 1951 NRC. But no major development takes place.

2009: NGO Assam Public Works (APW) files case in the Supreme Court, praying for the deletion of foreigners’ names in electoral rolls and updation of NRC.

2010: Pilot project starts in Chaygaon, Barpeta to update NRC. Project successful in Chaygaon. Four killed in violence in Barpeta. Project shelved.

2013: Supreme Court takes up APW petition, directs the Centre and state to begin the process for updating the NRC. NRC state coordinator’s office set up.

2015: Updation of NRC process begins.

2017: On December 31, draft NRC published with names of 1.9 crore of total 3.29 crore applicants.

July 30, 2018: Another draft NRC published, 40 lakh of 2.9 crore people excluded.

June 26, 2019: Publication of additional draft exclusion list of 1,02,462 released.

August 31, 2019: Final NRC released.