NRC Required In Jharkhand, Infiltration Problem Not Limited To Assam, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed concern on Monday about the issue of illegal infiltration originating from across the Bangladesh border. 

He emphasized the need for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to be implemented in Jharkhand , noting that the challenge of illegal immigration extends beyond Assam . Sarma urged for a national debate on this pressing issue, highlighting its significance for the entire country.

“The way we want the NRC in Assam with re-verification of 20 percent entries, likewise NRC is required in Jharkhand and other states as well because now foreigners are not just limited to Assam , they enter through West Bengal or Assam and can go to any other State of India, get Aadhar card and can return back to Assam,” CM Sarma told reporters. 

"Infiltrators Easily Making Aadhar Cards In Their Names"

Highlighting that illegal infiltrators in the country are easily getting Aadhar cards made in their name, CM Sarma said that NRC is required at the national level.  

“It’s now a national issue and not just a problem of Assam . Ever since the turmoil in Bangladesh , every day at the border we have been holding back Bangladeshis. They will go to other States of India, stay there for 21 days, get an Aadhar card,and can also return to Assam . That’s why I think that at the national level, NRC is required and parliament should hold a discussion on it.  be held in parliament on it,” CM Sarma said. 

The Assam Chief Minister further said,  “It should or it shouldn’t be a matter to be decided later, but the issue should be discussed openly in the parliament. That’s the reason why I’m updating daily on twitter regarding the illegal immigrants entering Assam or India so that the issue can be debated at a national level. Our matter is at the Supreme Court, Jharkhand ’s matter is at Jharkhand High Court.” 

What is NRC?

National Register of Citizens (NRC) is the register containing the names of Indian citizens. NRC updation basically means the process of enlisting the names of citizens based on Electoral Rolls upto 1971 and 1951 NRC.

National Register of Citizens, 1951 is a register prepared after the conduct of the Census of 1951, in respect of each village showing the houses or holdings in a serial order and indicating against each house or holding the number and names of persons staying therein. 

In 2013, the Supreme Court directed the Centre and State to undertake an exercise in Assam to update the 1951 register. The final list, published in 2019, included individuals who could prove their Indian citizenship by demonstrating that they were residents or descendants of people living in Assam before March 25, 1971—the cutoff date for deportation of foreigners according to the Assam Accord of August 1985. Out of 3.3 crore applicants, approximately 19.06 lakh people were excluded due to insufficient documentation to verify their citizenship. Many parties criticized the final list as “faulty.”