35% of Assam do not have NRC 1951

At least 35% of Assam do not have NRC 1951 as they are either lost or damaged raising a major question whether 1951 documents could effectively be used for future NRC updation, foreigner's detection as well as much anticipated Clause VI protection.

This explosive information was dug out from the archives of the Assam Assembly Question where for a change Assam Government gave a detailed village wise reply. The answer gave names of all the villages where NRC 1951 was lost or damaged. The detailed answer was buried for years as everyone built a castle around a list that actually partially exist.

In August 16 2012, on behalf the then home minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi, Assam Minister Rakibul Hussain while replying to a question of AIUDF MLA Abdur Rahim Khan informed that out of 26409 villages of Assam, 9353 villages either completely lost and damaged. In terms of percentage 35% villages of Assam do not have NRC 1951. In simple langague every fourth villages of Assam do not have this very important data.

This information was intentionally kept aside by successive government. The NRC authorities realizing the problem allowed all othee electoral rolls up to 1971 to be used as legacy data while applying for the NRC inclusion.

But the present regime insisted that only 1951 NRC must be used for updation, detection of foreigners as well as for the Clause VI safeguard.

However the problem is how the same would be done on the ground without having the NRC 1951 in six districts of Assam.

The six districts were Sibsagar, Cachar, DIma Hasao. Karbi Anglong , Bagsa and Chirang. So many residents of these districts have no chance to use 1951 NRC. The worst is that the next best alternative documents were also very unclear.

The Sibsagar did have 1952 electoral roll but the other five districts were unsure whether they had electoral roll prior to 1971 or not.