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further conflicts similar to those during
the Assam Agitation. Hindu hardliner
groups like Vishwa Hindu Parishad or
Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad led by
former VHP leader Pravin Togaida, said
those to be identified as Bangladeshis
should be “thrown into the sea” or Indian
army should capture a portion of Bang-
ladesh and settle the migrants there.
Many, however, termed the statements
as “communal and divisive” with a politi-
cal motive.
Upamanyu Hazarika, a Supreme
Court lawyer who leads Prabajan Viro-
dhi Manch has a straight answer: “The
foreigners would leave Assam of their
own if Assam government passes a leg- tation of the historic Accord that prom- • Biggest drive The citizenship drive in Assam is
islation by reserving jobs, seats in educa- ised detection and deportation of the for- the biggest of its kind in India
tional institutes and land only for those eigners, sealing of the India-Bangladesh
whose forefathers were residents of As- borders in Assam and constitutional, leg- December this year, many in Assam
sam in 1951.” islative and administrative safeguards to believe that the demand for constitu-
indigenous Assamese population. tional and administrative safeguards
Post-NRC way forward “The ultimate solution to the threat would step up after the publication of the
Update of the National Register of Citi- posed by influx to Assamese identity and updated NRC.
zens (NRC), 1951, in Assam with March culture lies in the implementation of the Clause 6 of Assam Accord says Con-
24, 1971 cut-off will fulfil the 33-year-long Assam Accord in to,” AASU leaders said in stitutional, legislative and administrative
promise in the 1985 Assam Accord signed Guwahati, days after the second draft of safeguards, as may be appropriate, shall
between former Prime Minister Rajiv NRC was released. be provided to protect, preserve and
Gandhi and the anti-foreigner agitators While the BJP-led government in promote the cultural, social, linguistic
led by All Assam Students’ Union. the state said the 48-km (still unfenced identity and heritage of the Assamese
Many in Assam, however, say a correct borders) of the total 262-km Assam- people. The clause, however, has re-
NRC would only be a partial implemen- Bangladesh border, would be fenced by mained unimplemented mainly due to

LiLy Das, a woman must produce citizenship of his parents, not her ments,” she said. Sunar seemed unaware that she had to
According to guidelines for NRC update, a married
prove that she was married to Nilbahadur before March
BengaLi- husband to include her name in the NRC but Lily has no 24, 1971, for the inclusion of her name in the NRC, failing
speaking HinDu such document. Her son Som and Rimpi got their names which she could be declared a foreigner.
Although illegal migration from Bangladesh is the fo-
in the draft NRC as they submitted legacy data of their
father. Like Lily, many Bengali-speaking Hindus living in cus of the NRC, many with Nepal origin could also end up
er smiling face turned pale and gloomy in mo- Assam could eventually fail the NRC test and could be being declared foreigners. Leaders of Gorkha community
ments as soon as she came to know that her declared foreigners. in Assam, however, stress that the March 24, 1971 cut-off
Hname was missing in the draft NRC released date should not apply to Gorkhas as the 1950 Indo-Nepal
on July 30. Das, born and brought up in Raiganj in West Mayadin Sunar, a Nepal-origin woman Treaty of Peace and Friendship allows free movement of
Bengal was married to a person at Udalbakra in Guwa- Mayadin Sunar, now 70, who was married to Nilbahadur citizens of both the countries.
hati in 1988. “I had submitted proof of my marriage but Sunar, a peon in Assam Secretariat, looked blank as
don’t know why is my name missing,” she asked. When she did not find names of all five members of her family Pabitra Hajong, a Hajong refugee
asked if she had submitted any pre-1971 document, Lily living at Hatigaon area in Guwahati. His husband has Pabitra, 60 is among the 120 families of Hajong refugees
looked blank and said, “I have no such document. My been missing since 2001 and she is clueless as to why who were brought in to Assam from Bangladesh in 1964,
father died early and he did not own land there. What will her family’s name was not there in the draft NRC. “I have according to a treaty of Indira Gandhi and Mujibur Rah-
happen now?” to ask my relatives in Nepal if they have any other docu- man (father of Bangladesh). Most of them were provided

Tehelka / 31 august 2018 36 www.Tehelka.com