NRC In Assam: Why India-Bangladesh Ties May Take A Hit | Opinion

Leaving out 40 lakh applicants from the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam has raised a furore. Many are blaming the large number of exclusions on the haste and hurry during the 바카라 웹사이트final stages of the exercise. Some of the바카라 웹사이트exclusions, to say the least,바카라 웹사이트 are pretty weird.바카라 웹사이트 Why would the nephew of the former Indian president Fakruddin Ali Ahmed, as Assamese Muslim,바카라 웹사이트 not find his name in the NRC? Why would the wife of the deputy speaker of Assam assembly Archana Pal or a two-time MLA 바카라 웹사이트Maulana Mazarbhuiyan be dropped from the NRC draft? Worst, two lawmakers -- Ramakanta Dewri, BJP MLA from Morigaon. and Ananta Kumar Malo, AIUDF MLA from Abhayapuri, -- don’t find their names in the NRC.

Dewri is furious because he is Assamese. “I am a son of the soil and I don’t feel the need to prove my citizenship ,” Dewri was quoted by an Assam-based news channel as saying.바카라 웹사이트

“I feel바카라 웹사이트 the indigenous communities and tribes need not try to prove their citizenship,” said바카라 웹사이트Dewri.바카라 웹사이트바카라 웹사이트

Mallo, however, is hopeful he would finally make it to the list after fresh claims and objections are filed in August. That is exactly what many among the 40 lakh, whose names don’t figure in the NRC draft, are expecting.

They have taken to heart home minister Rajnath Singh라이브 바카라 assurance (and that of the Supreme Court) that this was “only a draft”바카라 웹사이트 and those who were genuinely Indian should expect to get their names finally on the NRC by the end of the year.

But aggressive statements by BJP politicians – one Telengana MLA even saying illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas should be shot – are complicating the scenario.바카라 웹사이트 As is West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee ‘s threat of “much bloodshed and civil war “.

With the BJP demanding an NRC update in West Bengal (and Mamata opposing it furiously) and some regional groups demanding the same in other Northeastern states, it is clear the NRC is becoming a dangerous card in the sordid 바카라 웹사이트game of political confrontation across the whole of India라이브 바카라 east and Northeast. 바카라 웹사이트The irony is that Tripura라이브 바카라 BJP chief minister Biplab Deb was quick scuttle proposals for an NRC in Tripura , demanded by tribal parties, one of which is a BJP ally. 바카라 웹사이트“There is no foreigner in my state, we are all Indians,”바카라 웹사이트 Deb 바카라 웹사이트commented after the NRC draft was published.

The biggest fallout of the NRC updating could be India라이브 바카라 relations with Bangladesh, which has been on an upswing since Sheikh Hasina took over as Prime Minister in January 2009. Hasina has addressed all of India라이브 바카라 security and connectivity concerns, from driving out the Northeastern rebels to providing India transit facilities. Bangladesh is crucial to the success of India라이브 바카라 Look East (now ‘Act East’) policy . Hasina is already upset at India라이브 바카라 failure to deliver on a promised settlement for sharing the waters of Teesta , with Mamata Banerjee playing the spoilsport.

This hugely impacts바카라 웹사이트 her electoral prospects with Bangladesh parliament polls due at the year end.바카라 웹사이트 Now, with the shrill anti-Bangladesh rhetoric 바카라 웹사이트from India라이브 바카라 ruling party – Amit Shah warning the Opposition not to defend Bangladeshi illegals in Parliament – Hasina would바카라 웹사이트 be nervous at all this talk of pushback.

Bangladesh accepted 52 illegals last week but there is no way it could accept lakhs and millions.바카라 웹사이트 The final NRC draft will come around the same time Bangladesh polls are due and the Islamist Opposition will doubtlessly make a huge issue of the denial of citizenship in Assam to tens of thousands of Bengali Muslims, who have been hit the worst.바카라 웹사이트 Accepting 10 lakh Rohingyas was seen as an inevitable humanitarian gesture – accepting anyone from Assam would be seen as a surrender to India.

So, Hasina라이브 바카라 information minister Hasanul Huq Inu has been quick to react. Within a day of the publication of NRC update, Inu told the Indian media that the “NRC was India라이브 바카라 internal problem.” Which means all those not finding their place in the NRC are not Bangladeshi illegals, as alleged here, but바카라 웹사이트 Indians. Meaning indirectly there was no question of taking them back.바카라 웹사이트 Those in the BJP,바카라 웹사이트 who suggest pressuring Hasina on this issue would do well to understand India, cannot afford바카라 웹사이트 to drive a trusted ally into China라이브 바카라 welcoming arms.바카라 웹사이트

Inu said his country has ‘enough faith in a liberal leader like Modi – meaning his leader knew sense would finally prevail in Delhi. If that be so, and India does not try pushing anyone back into Bangladesh, what will happen to those who don’t find their names in the NRC after바카라 웹사이트31 December 2018?바카라 웹사이트 If their numbers run into lakhs, are we not looking at a huge mass of stateless persons floating around in a sensitive frontier state with a history of much ethnic strife?바카라 웹사이트

The impact on families is scary.바카라 웹사이트The head of Bengali department of Cotton State University, Prasanta Chakraborty, told journalists that the names of his two elder brothers have been included in the final draft but those of their wives and children are missing.바카라 웹사이트 There are so many 바카라 웹사이트cases such as those. Leave aside the harassment and humiliation of having to file claims all over again and chase officials who are often less than sympathetic, what happens if they finally don’t make it?바카라 웹사이트

(Subir Bhaumik is a veteran journalist and author on India's Northeast. The views expressed are his own.)