700,000 Muslims excluded from Assam NRC: CM Sarma
New Delhi: Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has revealed that out of the 1.9 million individuals excluded from the state’s National Register of Citizens (NRC), 700,000 are Muslims.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the NRC, aimed at distinguishing Indian citizens from undocumented immigrants, requires residents to prove their presence or ancestry in Assam before March 24, 1971.
Sarma noted that 300,000 to 600,000 excluded individuals could potentially seek citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which excludes Muslims. However, he anticipated minimal applications in Assam due to the Act’s cut-off date of December 31, 2014.
The Citizenship Amendment Act aims to fast-track Indian citizenship for refugees from six minority religious communities, except Muslims, from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, on the condition that they have lived in India for six years and have entered the country by December 31, 2014.
Sarma said that the Citizenship Amendment Act would be a “fiasco” in Assam and that the state would see the lowest number of applications under the Act.
The revelation by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma underscores the disproportionate impact of the NRC on Muslim communities in Assam. While the CAA offers a pathway to citizenship for certain excluded groups, its exclusion of Muslims has fueled criticism and fears of marginalization. Sarma’s doubt regarding the Act’s effectiveness in Assam further highlights the complexities surrounding citizenship and exclusion in the Indian state.
