ASSAM’S Final Citizenship Draft Released: None Of 40L Left out Will Be Deported

ASSAM’S  final draft on  National Register of Citizens-NRC –  was  made public  on Monday  amidst  unprecedented security  measures  taken by the authorities  fearing law and problem because of non-inclusion of hundreds  of people in the draft . Four million people are left out of the draft. None of them will be deported and given opportunity to prove genuineness of their case, officials said in Guwahati. The NRC includes names of all Indian citizens residing in the north-eastern state before March 25, 1971.The July 30 deadline was fixed by the Supreme Court of India after a series of litigations culminated in ordering The Centre, Assam and NRC State Convener Pratik Hejela to coordinate and complete the gigantic task on a war footing. As the NRC will serve as the final authentic record of genuine citizens residing in Assam adversely affected by influx of people from Bangladesh, the state apprehends violence from various groups including political parties. An estimated two crore eighty nine lakhs, eighty three thousand six hundred and seventy seven people have been found eligible among 3.29 crore total applicants. Those who have been left out can apply for claims and objections, said  Prateek Hajela. Nearly 40 lakh citizens have been left out in the draft list, said Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary of Northeast Affairs of Ministry of Home Affairs.Prateek Hajela said, “It’s a historic day in the country and Assam towards fulfilment of a major milestone of publishing draft under monitoring of Supreme Court. The exercise of the NRC in its scale size is unprecedented.”The state had released its first citizenship draft in January.On Sunday , a meeting of all political parties was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal .The representatives of the political parties  praised the initiative  taken by  the Chief Minister in holding the meeting and unanimously made an appeal to the people of the State to maintain peace and harmony  after the publication of the final NRC draft. The meet also agreed to continue extending whole-hearted support to the authorities concerned in the preparation of an error-free NRC.The meet appealed to the people not to panic as all genuine applicants would get ample time for claims and objections. The political parties also agreed to extend necessary legal aid to the genuine applicants whose names would be missed out and not to deprive them of any constitutional and other legal facilities. Moreover, they would not be sent to detention camps also. Sonowal  said that the first draft of the NRC was published in the State in a very peaceful environment and appealed to the people of Assam to maintain the same environment on the aftermath of publication of the final draft.(image courtesy : The India Express)