You Are Strangled By The Central Government

NRC

Fear of losing the job; fear of statelessness; fear of ending the agronomy; fear of being selling off the country.

There is a very uncertain future ahead of the millions of working-class in India. Did you ever think about increasing of working shift in factories from 8 hours to 9 hours? Did you ever think that contractual labour has to leave after finishing their contract with the owner? Did you ever think about the act that gives permission to those factories which have the strength of fewer than 300 workers to sack and lay off? In that case, they can sack anyone without the permission of the government. These are not the saga; the central government proposed this type of labour code in the parliament.

Among you who can give proof of citizenship, they will have the name on NRC or National Register of Citizen. If can not able to show your proof, they will call you ‘illegal infiltrator’. Did you ever think that after living from generations your families have to show the document of 1951? You have to search for your kin’s document to prove that they were a citizen of India in 1951. These papers are called ‘legacy document’. If you can not able to show your ‘legacy document’ you will not be accepted as a citizen of India.

Do you know about NPR? NPR, National Population Register is the first step of NRC. Recently West Bengal government stayed the process temporarily. And then comes the Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA. If you have not those papers; if you are persecuted and came in India before 2014 from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh; and if you belong to Hindu, Christian, Parsi, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh Community then you will be called refugee by the Indian government. You can also get citizenship without valid papers through this new CAA. BJP constantly trying to indoctrinate this idea. If you belong to the Muslim community, you will be called ‘infiltrator’. Either you can be detained or being stateless.

Did you ever think that the government can directly divide the people based on their religion? The government will execute NRC to examine citizenship like Assam. The National Register of Citizen, which took 8 years, cost Government of India whooping Rs. 1600 crore, is a fruitless exercise to hackle common people in Assam. An Assam resident had to show the documents of his/her father or grandfather to prove citizenship. They had to submit documents before 25th March 1971. The final list of NRC excluded over 19 lakhs people; around 12 lakhs are Hindus and 5 lakhs are Muslims among them. Major portions of excluded Hindus are mostly Namashudra, Dalit and poverty-stricken Schedule Caste residents of Assam. Around 1 lakh name of Gorkha brothers and sisters were excluded. Around 50,000 Rajbangshi people excluded; Rajbangshi who had kingship spread from Uttarbanga to Goalpara-Bongaon of Assam. They are infiltrator according to NRC. Think about it. BJP had assumed that more Muslims were on list rejected list ( around 30-40 lakhs ) and they will be deported with tagging Bangladeshi. That did not happen. So, BJP is attempting to reexamine the NRC in Assam. BJP declares that Hindu refugees will be recognized as a citizen but excluded Muslims will not be accepted.

What is BJP explaining? It’s not so easy to talk about the citizenship of persecuted people of the neighbourhood. You can read CAA closely to understand. There are clearly mentioned that those who were affected by ‘religious persecution’ and came before 2014 in India will be benefited. What will be the proof? Will you prove the religious persecution in neighbouring countries? It is not written that your statement will be accepted as proof. It is not totally clear in the Citizenship Amendment Act.

You have not forgotten surely about this government’s ruinous policy which deeply affected workers and farmers of our country. Do you remember demonetization? Do you remember Modi’s promise of 15 lakhs? Do you remember vaunting about black money? And then GST? Millions of small industries and business had fallen because of these policies. Peasants have become poorer now. The economic condition is on the deathbed. What is BJP government doing to get a solution to the crisis? The government gives concessions to corporates. BJP government has broadened the way of oppressing workers. Hundreds of owners have gotten rid of a huge loan. The owners defrauded the princely amount from the banks. Although, the government has paid billions to Adani-Ambani. Can you think that the government wants to sell the factory of arms of the Indian army to the foreign owner? Modi government wants to sell one of the most profitable Bharat Petroleum. On the other hand, farmers can not pay their debt. They are committing suicide. The property of Ambani-Adani becomes doubled in the last 5 years. The company of Amit Shah’s son has profited more than Adani-Ambani. What about you? What about your neighbouring working-class Hindu brother? What about your neighbouring working-class Muslim brother? What about your neighbouring working-class Cristian brother? Religion is not the basis when the company sack someone. If the price of gas is hiked then you have to pay the same as your Muslim brother. Who is appeasing whom? There is always the presence of appeasement on the sphere of owners. If we buy potatoes at Rs. 22/kg, the farmer of the village gets Rs. 6/kg ( before a few months ago). Think a little about it. Who gets more profit Hindu or Muslim? What do you think? Do you think an enemy to each other after listening to BJP? Do you think as a friend to Ambani-Adani-Birla? You can also think about those who give physical labour to earn; Do you unionise your working-class friend without depending on political leaders? What has to be done? Can you unionise to resist NRC-CAA? Can you put your hand to make a union? Can you walk on the street for labour act reformation? If you think about the oppressed working-class unity, then contact on own your sphere.

This article is originally published.on the leaflet of Kolkata based Refraction Magazine in Bengali. Translated by Abu Sufian Mondal.

Abu Sufian Mondal is currently pursuing his BA Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University. He can be reached at [email protected]


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