– foreigners’ stir in the State on the night of August 14 – 15, 1985 have been a hackneyed subject in both the print and electronic media over the years across Assam. Still they have not lost their relevance and will continue to be newspapers’ headline stories as long as the process of the NRC of 1951 and implementation of Clauses 5.1 to 5.9 of the Accord will remain incomplete. It is the periodic outcry or movement by various socio – political and apolitical organizations in the State in protest against the inordinate delay on the part of the governments, both the Central and the State, in leading the exercise to a logical end that is what actually helps resurrect the issues and renders them a much – talked – about topic yet again across the State.

Of late, the AASW has accused the State government of totally failing in updating the NRC and demanded that both the State government and the Centre take immediate steps to implement the Assam Accord in its letter and spirit. It argued that the government has been soft peddling the most crucial issue of the Accord implementation in reference to many important clauses such as the NRC update, sealing of the porous Indo – Bangladesh border, etc. In a statement , the AASW leaders including its adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya were of the view that unless the Assam Accord is implemented in its entirety, the future of the indigenous people is bleak with the large – scale cross – border infiltration from Bangladesh.

On March 16th, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) announced that it resolved to exert pressure on the Centre for speeding up the process of updating the NRC. The AGP General Secretary Dr. Kamala Kalita argued that a delegation of the party would visit the Union Home Minister at New Delhi soon to pitch for expediting its process. Here, a reference can be made that some time ago, the minister in charge of the Assam Accord implementation Himanta Biswa Sarma briefed the State Assembly that updating the NRC would start soon after receiving a nod from the Central government.

The Centre, as of March 2013 has not announced any definite timeline within which the entire process will be completed.

There cannot be however any contradiction over the fact that there is a significant presence of immigrant Bangladeshis in Assam. What saddens us is that we are still in the dark as to the number of such people illegally staying in the State. We have come to know barely a fortnight ago that the Foreigners Tribunals in the State have declared 56,137 persons as illegal migrants in both pre and post 1971 streams while 43,576 names have been sent for deletion from the voters list. What is also saddening is that only 2445 persons have been deported to Bangladesh during the last 27 years.

However, there is a strong perception now that the NRC update can be the panacea to the problem of illegal migrants staying in the State on the basis of the electoral rolls up to 1971. The AASW also reportedly shares a similar view. It feels that updating of the 1951 electoral rolls with reference to the 1971 voters list should be the basis for detection. However, the minority population in the State demand that the 1971 voters list be the basis for detection and deportation of the illegal migrants. The AASW depends on the two instruments for resolving the endemic problem of illegal migration into the State, as stated earlier, the NRC update and the Assam Accord. It relies on the Accord as it has made the 25th of March 1971 as the cut – off year in dealing with migrants. It is unfortunate that during the past 27 years since the Assam Accord was signed, precious nothing was achieved with regard to the implementation of the crucial clauses of the Accord, particularly Clauses 5.1 to 5.9 providing for the three Ds – detection, deletion and deportation of illegal migrants.

There was great resentment in the State following the slow progress of the process of the NRC update. However, the decision to update it and to provide photo identity cards to citizens of India on the basis of the same was taken way back on the 5th of May 2005 in a tripartite meeting on the implementation of the Assam Accord between AASW and the State and Central governments. In the said meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, it was resolved that the process be completed within two years. It is however a pity that almost eight years have since passed by but the actual process is yet to start.

Indeed, it is to be conceded that a pilot project was launched to update the NRC in two revenue circles of the State in July 2010 as per the decision of the State Cabinet sub – committee but this was suspended following violent protests by one minority organization in Barpeta and the incident resulted in the death of four students who happened to belong to the minority community. The most frustrating part of the story involving the government is that it found it logical to go ahead with the Panchayat polls in the Rabha Hasong area in spite of strong protest by different Rabha Hasong organizations also causing the loss of 21 lives on the day of polling.

However, it is good news that the Centre has finally accepted the State governmet’s revised modalities drafted and sent by a Cabinet Sub – Committee to it in January this year on the NRC updae, and as such, it will be initially undertaken in the State’s seven districts, on the basis of the original NRC of 1951 and the electoral rolls upto 1971. What is of utmost importance along with the NRC update is setting a specific time – frame. The Centre, as of March 2013 has not announced any definite timeline within which the entire process will be completed. This has raised serious doubts on the sincerity of the Centre about completing the job in reasonable time in these seven districts. A question which is uppermost in the minds of the people is why the decision to undertake the NRC update in the minority pockets in the State including Barpeta was not taken. Had it been made, the process could have possibly finished without any further delay. Is it because of fear of a replay of the backlash against the exercise from minority organizations as we witnessed in the State’s two revenue circles in 2010 following which the NRC update was suspended halfway? Has the process been deferred because of vote – bank politics on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls? Is it not to be undertaken there simultaneously with the seven districts because of the AUDF being part of the UPA II? These are the pertinent questions that arise out of the present scenario.

Whatever be the reason, it is good that the Centre has at least given the green signal to set about the much – awaited NRC update in the State. As per the modalities drafted by the State government’s Cabinet Sub – Committee, the Centre has accepted on March 18 that the names of the persons who have been declared as illegal migrants of the post 1971 stream by the competent authorities shall not be included in the consolidated list. However, the people who came after 1966 and before March 25th 1971 and who have registered themselves with the FRRO shall be eligible to be included in the consolidated list.

The question that still remains unanswered is what will happen to the progeny born in India to Bangladesh nationals declared or detected as foreigners by Foreigners Tribunals or found so on the basis of an updated NRC or the 1971 voters list? Supposed they are declared as foreigners on the ground of their grand – parents entering Assam illegally after 1971 as the cut – off year, will these be sent back to Bangladesh? Even if it is decided to do so, will the Bangladesh government take these people in? Indeed, more so, will NRC, if updated, be able to solve the problem of illegal migrants?

Dwaipayan