Guwahati: The countdown has begun in Assam to the publication of the first crucial draft of the National Register of Citizens or NRC, described as the world's largest exercise to identify legal citizens and those who may be staying illegally in the state. A review meeting has just been held between the centre and the state to ensure the Supreme Court deadline of December 31 for the first draft is met.
Thousands of state officials are racing against time to re-check documents submitted as proof of nationality by a mammoth 3.28 crore residents of Assam.
It is a delicate task. People are especially tense in 11 minority-dominated districts that they may be left out of the list by accident or error.
"In the reverification, most of the notices are coming in the name of children. These poor people don't have proper documents... they go elsewhere for work and there get targeted as Bangladeshis," said Tofail Ahmed, a villager from Goalpara, one of the Muslim-majority districts in Assam.
The last NRC update in Assam took place in 1951. It recorded 80 lakh legal Indians in the state. Since then, the process of identification of foreigners in Assam has been debated and become a contentious point in the state's politics.
Earlier this week, the Sarbananda Sonowal government held a review meeting with the union home secretary. For both centre and state, the priority is to ensure there are no flare ups after the draft NRC is published. Over 5,000 central security forces have been sent to Assam - since November.
"What is going to be published on 31st December is a part draft. A lot of work is pending. Those names would be pending need not mean rejected. So there will be another draft and after that people get the chance of raising claims and objections," said Rajiv Gauba, Union Home Secretary.
Thousands of state officials are racing against time to re-check documents submitted as proof of nationality by a mammoth 3.28 crore residents of Assam.
It is a delicate task. People are especially tense in 11 minority-dominated districts that they may be left out of the list by accident or error.
The last NRC update in Assam took place in 1951. It recorded 80 lakh legal Indians in the state. Since then, the process of identification of foreigners in Assam has been debated and become a contentious point in the state's politics.
Advertisement
"What is going to be published on 31st December is a part draft. A lot of work is pending. Those names would be pending need not mean rejected. So there will be another draft and after that people get the chance of raising claims and objections," said Rajiv Gauba, Union Home Secretary.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
"Assam Muslim Population Now 40%, Matter Of Life And Death": Himanta Sarma 3 Hmar Insurgents Shot Dead In Encounter In Assam: Himanta Sarma India's Elite Dog Squad K9 Units To Heighten Security At Paris Olympics Amid Huge Row, Karnataka Pauses Bill For Reservation In Private Sector Firms Travel Influencer Aanvi Kamdar Dies After Falling Off A Waterfall Near Mumbai UP Banker Dies By Suicide After 6 Months Of Bullying, Body-Shaming Major Crackdown Launched On Terror Network In J&K After Doda Encounter UK's New Government Vows To Remove 92 Unelected Peers From Upper House EU's Carbon Tax Could Cost India 0.05% Of GDP: Report Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.