NRC: UN Human Rights experts fear of ethnic tension in Assam

December 28: The final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam was released on 30 July, with names of 40, 07,707 persons excluded from the list. There were 3.29 crore applicants. It has included over 28 million individuals, thus giving them a pride of place as citizens, while excluding four million residents of the state. This final draft of the NRC in Assam emerged, provoking both passionate support and outrage. This has led three United Nations Human Rights experts to express concern as they fear that it could inflame ethnic tensions in an already fractious region.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday from the UN special rapporteur on religious freedoms, Ahmed Shaheed, the rapporteur for minority rights, Fernand de Varennes and an expert on arbitrary detentions, Seong-Phil Hong, it was stated that, “We are… seriously concerned about the lack of clarity regarding what will happen to those left out of the finalised NRC.” They further expressed deep concern and stated: “There is a risk that persons not part of the NRC could become stateless, be at risk of deportation, or be subject to large-scale migration detention.” They were quoted in a news item by Business Recorder.

Further, Fernand de Varennes went a step further and stated, “It is feared that this entire process is increasing inter-ethnic tensions in a region that has already experienced a tumultuous history of identity-based conflicts” as quoted by Business Standard.

Meanwhile, the process of filing claims and objections is going on in the state for which the deadline is 31 December 2018. The Supreme Court monitored process of updating NRC is expected to leave many as potentially stateless and facing an uncertain future. Many in the state who were left out are yet to file their claims. As only 3 days to go and some lakhs still not submitting their claims, it is feared that many might not be able to find a place in the final NRC list which is supposed to be published by 30 June, 2019.