Assam on edge, forces back as NRC date looms

Guwahati: With the stage set for publication of the final National Register of Citizens Saturday, the state government in close coordination with the Union home ministry has taken several steps to avert any law and order problem after the publication of the NRC.

Saying that the Centre had sent back the paramilitary forces withdrawn from Assam to be deployed in J&K, security sources said 55 companies of Central forces were withdrawn from the state just before the division of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories and the abrogation of Article 370. At the request of the Assam government to deploy extra forces in the state before publication of the NRC, the Centre has sent 51 companies, most of which have reached the state.

Security sources said the police and security forces had been constantly monitoring the situation and a close watch was kept on the social media so that no one can instigate people by spreading rumours. The Unified Command of security forces also reviewed the situation and vulnerable areas of the state were identified. Forces are being deployed after assessing the vulnerability of different areas. The security sources said adequate forces were being deployed in the state and there should not be any law and order problem in any part of Assam.

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who is also in charge of the home department, has said he is sure there wouldn’t be any law and order problem in the state after publication of the NRC.

The security and intelligence agencies have not got any input from any part of the state about members of any outfit planning to create trouble in the state.

Other state government agencies have started work on handling the post-NRC publication scenario. Saying the Assam government had designated as of now 56 of the existing 100 Foreigners Tribunals to receive the appeals of people whose names are left out of the final NRC, state home department sources said these designated tribunals, set up in 33 districts and sub-divisions, will forward the appeals to the 200 extra tribunals. They have been advised to ensure that every applicant should be given a hearing in the nearest one.

In the latest amendment to the Foreigners Tribunal (Amendment) Order 2019, the Union home ministry has extended the appeal time to 120 days from date of publication of the final NRC on August 31. The earlier time was 60 days. The appeals to the 200 tribunals can be made by both the administration as well as the concerned individuals.

Under the relevant legislation, a person is not a foreigner just because his/her name does not figure in the final NRC. However, he/she will be considered a foreigner only after the tribunal declares him/her to be a foreigner.