Nearly two millions people, predominantly Muslims have been left out of the NRC list in Assam. Now those who know about the Assam problem understand it will that Assam burnt because of the invasion of the outsiders in the state and conflict among different tribe groups. The issue of livelihood is greater. This issue was never communal or Hindu Muslim. Assam those days was a challenge to Bengali domination but the Hindutva experts have converted the entire issue of into a Hindu Muslim issue after the government brought changes in the Citizenship act which wish to embrace Hindus from other countries here. This has resulted in a fearful situation as Muslims living in Assam for decades have been declared as foreigner. Even a Kargil war hero, a political leader are out of list. Many fathers are in the list but not their children.
The most fearful and dangerous aspect of this government’s policy is that it knows fully well that it cant send people anywhere so it is planning to create detention centers to keep them there. Now, Americans can manage a few thousands and are having problems. Can Indian government afford to have a budget for people living in these detention centers. Why do you want to keep people in these detention centers. If there is something, make them creation centers, do provide them space and allow them to grow and contribute to our nation’s growth.
The biggest joke is the BJP leader and important minister in Assam government Himanta Biswal Sarma is not satisfied with it and want to file a review petition in the Supreme Court. They are not satisfied with nearly two million people perhaps they want more as well as they wish more Hindus to be in and Muslim to be out. Here in Delhi, an imported president from Bihar, has demanded that NRC be done in Delhi too. There is a clamour for it everywhere as this will be the ultimate way to terrorise the Muslims before the next elections. This is too serious and dangerous. Supreme Court must not remain silent on such scandalous and ruinous ideas emerging that may destroyed the unity and integrity of the country for ever. Please rise above and save India from dividing villages and galli muhallas. This is a great and dangerous game being played where those and all those who are enjoying its patronage want to ensure it remain with them forever and for that dissent has to be curtailed and an environment of fear and intimidation be spread all around.
A great Hindi satirist Sampat Saral mentioned once that it was good that we did not have the TV channels when we fought the first war of independence or in 1947 otherwise we would never have got our freedom. I would say, not only this, there would have been an perpetual communal war in India with these gangsters who promote open violence. I saw big joke when Hindutva propagandist channel showed how to ‘protect’ yourself in the eventuality of a ‘nuclear’ attack ? Now, our learned friend must know that there will no be any winner or loser in any nuclear attack. How will you protect yourself to a sudden attack and how do you know where to move ? But what do you do when all these anchors who spread hatred and absolute communal propaganda give you ideas about ‘protection’ from nuclear attack and rather debating the issue of how to deescalate tension between India and Pakistan. Now, since your domestic constituency has to be manged hence you want to be seen as have humiliated Pakistan but that does not resolve the issue.
It is time, we raise these issues. All those citizens who are not in NRC need to be looked into seriously. If Bangladesh or any other country are ready to accept them as their citizens please send them back but if not then what do you do ? Do you kill them ? or you can think some creative ways too. Use the human resource for some good purposes. Let there be a plan to settle them elsewhere giving them some terms and conditions to get Indian citizenship. There is nothing wrong in giving people citizenship on humanitarian ground but yes the country has a right to dictate terms.
We hope the Supreme Court will take note of it and provide a fair constitutional remedy to it.
Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a human rights activist. Twitter @freetohumanity
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