Assam's concerned circles described the latest edition of India Today's report –"Assam's Nowhere People' as "fallacious and motivated, aiming to trigger violence and massive 'law and order' disturbance" in the state after the NRC draft final publication.
The NRC drat final report scheduled to be published on July 30 next. The India Today report said that about 2 million people ( 20 lakh) people mostly Muslim , descendant of Erstwhile East Pakistan and present Bangladesh migrated to the state.
A leading citizen of the state said that just ahead of the publication of final draft of crucial NRC in Assam, the lead story of India Today's latest edition is likely to trigger violence in the days to come in the state.
Concern circles here expressing displeasure on the speculative reporting by India Today, asking it to 'corroborate factual information from official sources when reporting on sensitive issues like NRC draft publication'.
India Today generally silent on most of the important issues like flood , unemployment , poor economic development, etc of Assam but the country's leading weekly English magazine seems went an extra mile to report on probable situation after the NRC draft publication.
The reports' speculation of erupting 'Myanmar's Rohingiya like crisis' in Assam after the NRC draft publication seems influenced from some vested interest circle which have been desperately trying to create all kind of disturbance in the state.
Again, the report on probable situation after the NRC draft publication in state, seems 'selective compilation of largely unverified information' on past trouble of some infamous situation of Assam – Nellie massacre of 1983 broke out during the days of Assam Agitation.
The original Assam NRC, prepared in 1951, is being updated under the supervision of the Supreme Court to detect "illegal immigrants". The illegal migration from Bangladesh and erstwhile East Pakistan to Assam has changed the demographic situation in Assam and its neighbouring states.
Country's Apex Court had set this year's June 30 deadline for the publication of the registry but due to flood situation in the state, SC had extended the deadline for a month for publication of the NRC draft. The first part of the draft NRC, containing 19.1 million names, was published on December 31.
About 3.7 crore residents of Assam applied for inclusion in the NRC. Those who can't make it to the final list will lose their citizenship.
The original Assam NRC, prepared in 1951, is being updated under the supervision of the SC to detect 'illegal immigrants', raising fears that tens of thousands of Bengali-speaking Hindus, but mostly Muslims, may find their names deleted from the new registry.
The registry update process puts the onus of proof on anyone alleged to be an illegal migrant. Muslims and Hindus of Bengali origin make up nearly 45 per cent of Assam's population, more than ethnic Assamese, since most tribes' people register themselves by tribal identity and not as Assamese speakers.
The number of Bengali speakers, particularly Muslims, has climbed steadily in the past several decades, making nativism a divisive but lasting strand of Assam's politics. Former CEC (Chief Election Commissioner) Hari Shankar's Brahma's report said that Muslims of erstwhile East Pakistan and present Bangladesh origin migrated to Assam is majority in 15 districts of the state.
