Assam On Edge Ahead Of Final NRC List Tomorrow, Section 144 Imposed, Officials Urge For Peace

Anxiety filled the air in Assam with the deadline of final list of the National Register of Citizenship ending tomorrow. The state government has urged people to maintain peace and calm. As part of the preventive measures, Section 144 or the prohibitory orders have been issued by the authorities. It restricts gathering of five or more people at one place. What fuels the fear is the exclusion in the list. According to reports, over four million people were left out in the draft of the NRC list.

The Supreme Court-monitored NRC update exercise published first draft in July last year. It should be noted that the final list, which will be published tomorrow, can be termed as the supplementary list of the draft published in July last year. The 2019 list will contain the exact status of the people left out in the 2018 draft.

In the complete draft of the NRC, which was published in July last year, names of 40,07,707 people were excluded. It had which contained names of 2,89,83,677 eligible persons out of a total 3,29,91,384 applicants. Names of additional 1,02,462 persons were included in the list of excluded persons in June this year taking the total ineligible persons to 41,10,169 in the complete draft.

Though there have been some buzz over such an exercise across the country, at present, Assam is the only state that is carrying out the NRC policy. The citizens’ register was last updated in 1951. Assam had faced influx of people from Bangladesh since the early 20th Century.

According to state police, in Guwahati the prohibitory order was clamped in Dispur, where the secretariat and Assembly complexes are located, besides at Bhangagarh, Basistha, Hatigaon, Sonapur and Khetri police station areas.

Earlier on August 23, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had reviewed the law and order situation of the state. Appealing to the people to maintain peace, he said, "A government is there in Assam to look after people's interest.  All are living here with unity and honour ... We are confident that all sections of society will come forward to maintain peace and tranquillity for all times to come".

HIGHLIGHTS

• Assam is the only Indian state that is carrying out NRC exercise.
• Last National Register of Citizenship in Assam was updated in 1951.
• CM Sonowal has reviewed the law and order situation of the state.