GUWAHATI, Sept 15: Will the National Register of Citizens (NRC) at all be updated in Asom? This is a million-dollar question. The May 5, 2005 tripartite talks involving the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Asom Government and the Centre, and chaired by none other than Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had decided to update the NRC in Asom within two years, i.e. by September 2007. Four years have elapsed after the tripartite talks, but only the preliminary works of the process have been initiated.
Towards the end of 2008, the Asom Government prepared its draft modalities for NRC update and sent them to the Centre. About a year has elapsed since then, but the State Government is yet to be authorized by the Centre to update the NRC, a document that can be updated only by the Registrar General of India. The State Government is yet to receive any information from the Centre as to whether it has accepted the modalities for NRC update or not.
The attitude of the Centre compelled the State Government to send a proposal to New Delhi early this year to update the NRC in Chhaygaon Development Block and Barpeta Sadar Development Block with the draft modalities on a trial basis to see what problems and technical difficulties crop up in the exercise. The has not responded to this proposal as well.
The question that arises now is: if the decision taken at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister himself meets such a fate, what will be the fate of decisions that are being taken by other ministers? The Prime Minister took the decision to update the NRC in a specific time-frame, but did not follow up the matter.
Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, more often than not, claims credit for the initiation of preliminary works for NRC update under his regime. However, since the State Government is yet to be authorized to update the NRC, the possibility of NRC update in the remaining two-and-a-half years of Gogoi’s term is remote.THE SENTINEL
Towards the end of 2008, the Asom Government prepared its draft modalities for NRC update and sent them to the Centre. About a year has elapsed since then, but the State Government is yet to be authorized by the Centre to update the NRC, a document that can be updated only by the Registrar General of India. The State Government is yet to receive any information from the Centre as to whether it has accepted the modalities for NRC update or not.
The attitude of the Centre compelled the State Government to send a proposal to New Delhi early this year to update the NRC in Chhaygaon Development Block and Barpeta Sadar Development Block with the draft modalities on a trial basis to see what problems and technical difficulties crop up in the exercise. The has not responded to this proposal as well.
The question that arises now is: if the decision taken at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister himself meets such a fate, what will be the fate of decisions that are being taken by other ministers? The Prime Minister took the decision to update the NRC in a specific time-frame, but did not follow up the matter.
Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, more often than not, claims credit for the initiation of preliminary works for NRC update under his regime. However, since the State Government is yet to be authorized to update the NRC, the possibility of NRC update in the remaining two-and-a-half years of Gogoi’s term is remote.THE SENTINEL
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