Silchar, Aug 8: A number of social organizations and students’ bodies have joined the chorus of protest against categorization of National Register of Citizens (NRC). The decision of the Registrar General of India to label Bengalis of Assam as ‘Non Original Inhabitants (NOI)’ has hurt the sentiment of the Bengali speaking community of the state.
Members of Youth Against Social Evils (YASE) staged a sit in protest demonstration on this issue, in front of the statue of Khudi Ram Bose, at Park Road of this town recently. A number of organizations and their presidents, general secretaries and members participated in the sit in protest demonstration which included, Ataur Rahman Mazarbhuiya, former MLA, Katigorah, Sadhan Purkayastha, president, Amra Bengali, Sanjeev Roy, president, YASE, Rupam Nandi Purkayastha, advisor, All Cachar-Karimganj-Hailakandi Students’ Association (ACKHSA), Seram Herajit Singh, advisor and former president, Assam Manipuri Students Union (AAMSU) and Neharul Ahmed Mazumdar former secretary general, Barak Human Rights Protection Committee. Later, a memorandum was sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor of Assam, P B Acharya, through the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar. The memorandum speaks volumes about the discriminatory policy being applied towards the Bengali speaking community of the state.
It has been mentioned in the memorandum that such categorization is discriminatory in nature particularly for the Bengali people and generally for non-Assamese speaking people of other communities in the state. This will pave the way for two categories of citizens, which is apparently intangible as our Constitution does not provide for dual citizenship. Given the history of state oppression, torture and discrimination to Bengali speaking community, the future of this community seems to lurk in the dark.
The members opined that the authorities involved in NRC update process should have refrained from categorizing NRC applicants, other than tea tribes, as ‘original inhabitant’. They have requested the authorities involved not only to stop the categorization, marking and identification forthwith but also delete all such marking and labelling from all types of NRC records. (Source:Sentinelassam)
Members of Youth Against Social Evils (YASE) staged a sit in protest demonstration on this issue, in front of the statue of Khudi Ram Bose, at Park Road of this town recently. A number of organizations and their presidents, general secretaries and members participated in the sit in protest demonstration which included, Ataur Rahman Mazarbhuiya, former MLA, Katigorah, Sadhan Purkayastha, president, Amra Bengali, Sanjeev Roy, president, YASE, Rupam Nandi Purkayastha, advisor, All Cachar-Karimganj-Hailakandi Students’ Association (ACKHSA), Seram Herajit Singh, advisor and former president, Assam Manipuri Students Union (AAMSU) and Neharul Ahmed Mazumdar former secretary general, Barak Human Rights Protection Committee. Later, a memorandum was sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor of Assam, P B Acharya, through the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar. The memorandum speaks volumes about the discriminatory policy being applied towards the Bengali speaking community of the state.
It has been mentioned in the memorandum that such categorization is discriminatory in nature particularly for the Bengali people and generally for non-Assamese speaking people of other communities in the state. This will pave the way for two categories of citizens, which is apparently intangible as our Constitution does not provide for dual citizenship. Given the history of state oppression, torture and discrimination to Bengali speaking community, the future of this community seems to lurk in the dark.
The members opined that the authorities involved in NRC update process should have refrained from categorizing NRC applicants, other than tea tribes, as ‘original inhabitant’. They have requested the authorities involved not only to stop the categorization, marking and identification forthwith but also delete all such marking and labelling from all types of NRC records. (Source:Sentinelassam)