Bring NRC exercise in Assam to its logical end, urges students’ union
GUWAHATI:
The All Assam Minorities Students Union (AAMSU) has called upon the authorities to bring the process of preparation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), monitored by the Supreme Court, to its logical end.
In a memorandum submitted to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the students union stated that rejection slips should be issued immediately so that the genuine citizens of India whose names are not included in the final NRC get a chance to appeal against the rejection at the appropriate forum.
“Any anomalies if found in the NRC can be rectified in due course of time by following the settled provisions of law. As such, further verification of NRC before issuance of the rejection slips and the appeal process would only lead to wastage of time and hence be a futile exercise in our opinion,” the students union stated.
In the context of population growth, the students union stated that the best way to address the issue would bring about a “sea change in the educational and health infrastructure of the minority-dominated areas by establishing higher education institutes, vocational training institutes, model colleges and hospitals so that the standard of life among the people of the minority communities may be uplifted gradually.”
The students union also pointed out that in the wake of unabated erosion of land by the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, thousands of families have become homeless and are trying to rehabilitate themselves in the absence of any government aid.
“Such people require urgent attention to prevent them from settling in unwarranted lands by providing them land patta and shelter. Further, the age-old menace of flood and erosion needs to be addressed scientifically on a war footing to prevent further destruction,” the union stated in the memorandum to the chief minister.
The students union expressed concern that the eviction carried out by the administration in various districts during the pandemic may give rise to serious health consequences.
“It has also been seen in various places that the eviction was carried out selectively and with ulterior motives. These evicted families comprising women and children are compelled to live a beast-like nomadic life,” it claimed.
“As a section of such population are living uncertain lives and in a state of panic as the welfare state they live in has failed to provide them basic amenities. On the contrary, it has turned hostile to them. The recent eviction carried out in Jamuguri (Sonitpur), Kaki (Hojai) and Sipajhar (Darrang) districts have led to a humanitarian crisis. As such, the evicted people need to be rehabilitated without further delay,” the union urged.
The students union further stated that policies need to be adopted to enhance the employment rate among youths of minority communities in government sectors.
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