Kolkata: Joint Anti-NRC Forum, which has been protesting against the proposed implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in West Bengal and rest of India after Assam, has now waged a war on it and won’t stop till CAB gets scrapped and NRC gets stalled. The Forum has now announced to conduct Yatras across Bengal to sensitise common man about the ground reality of the two.
The Convenor of Joint Forum Against NRC, Deborshi Chakraborty, made it very clear, that their forum, would fight till the end to stall NRC implementation in Bengal and India.
“NRC is an anti-Human law. We are demanding the citizenship for all those left out of the final NRC-list in Assam. Setting up detention centres is not going to solve the problem,” he declared. He added, “The home minister of India in his last visit to Bengal, made it very plain and clear that the entire exercise is to corner a single community. Our understanding of Indian democracy doesn’t allow us to accept this religious discrimination while granting citizenship to illegal immigrants.”
Debashish informed about forum’s plan, “We understand the fear psychosis it is instilling in the mind of the common man. Hence, we have decided to organise an anti-NRC yatra to sensitise and educate common man about NRC and CAB. Pahad Theke Sagar (Mountain to Bay): Anti-NRC Bill will be flagged off on November 15 from Darjeeling and will culminate on December 6 at Bokkhali (Sunderban). This will be followed by a mass public meeting on December 9 at Kolkata’s Metro Channel area in Esplanade.”
Anti-NRC Yatra to steam up movement in Bengal
“We are ready to fight NRC and CAB at every level. Be it challenging the act at the apex court or taking on to the street to demonstrate public outrage, we are ready to do it all,” said Prasenjit Bose, another Convenor of the Forum.
While Debashish informed about forum’s plan, “We understand the fear psychosis it is instilling in the mind of the common man. Hence, we have decided to organise an anti-NRC yatra to sensitise and educate common man about NRC and CAB. Pahad Theke Sagar (Mountain to Bay): Anti-NRC Bill will be flagged off on November 15 from Darjeeling and will culminate on December 6 at Bokkhali (Sunderban). This will be followed by a mass public meeting on December 9 at Kolkata’s Metro Channel area in Esplanade.”
Challenging both the Union and State government, Bose, sought answers to some tough questions raised by him on behalf of the forum. “According to media reports, our PM has assured Sheikh Hasina, PM of Bangladesh, during their meets in New York and New Delhi, that NRC exercise wouldn’t affect Bangladesh. Now, can you please explain as to why over INR 1600 crore is being spent on detention centres if these illegal migrants won’t be deported to Bangladesh.”
According to the Forum, the Yatra would formally flag off their fight against NRC not just in West Bengal but across India.
Straight questions for PM Narendra Modi
Challenging both the Union and State government, Bose, sought answers to some tough questions raised by him on behalf of the Forum. “According to media reports, our PM has assured Sheikh Hasina, PM of Bangladesh, during their meets in New York and New Delhi, that NRC exercise wouldn’t affect Bangladesh. Now, can you please explain as to why over INR 1600 crore is being spent on detention centres if these illegal migrants won’t be deported to Bangladesh.”
He pointed out, “Also, in 2014, while campaigning in Silchar, on February 22, PM Modi had said that they wouldn’t be abusing human rights like the way Congress did during its regime in Assam. Then why are the detention centres not being shut down in Assam and why has the centre commissioned the setting up of new detention centres not just in Goalpara but across India.”
Bose further said, “Can she explain, as to why the Union Home Ministry has notified the state in two separate notifications about census and NPR? If both are the same, then one notification should have been sent. Then why are the advertisements issued by state government suggesting Census and NPR as same.”
Questions for Didi too
Bose was even vocal in criticising the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. He said, “She has been saying that she is anti-NRC, but her recent advertisements are quite misleading. Especially when she says that National Population Register (NPR) is a regular census and the public need not fear. Please consult the July 31 Gazette issued by the Government of India, clearly states that NPR is a precursor to the implementation of NRC across India.”
Bose further said, “Can she explain, as to why the Union Home Ministry has notified the state in two separate notifications about census and NPR? If both are the same, then one notification should have been sent. Then why are the advertisements issued by state government suggesting Census and NPR as same.”
Stating the Manual Instructions for updating NPR, he said, “The Union Home Ministry clearly describes NPR as the first step towards the creation of a National Register of Indian Citizenship (NRIC). In the backdrop of the WB Assembly passing a resolution opposing NRC in Bengal, what’s the state government’s stand on the same, we would like to know.”
CAB is not the solution, giving citizenship to all is
The Forum also highlighted as to how CAB will also not be able to take care of the millions of Hindu who will be declared stateless on implementation of NRIC.
Chakraborty said, “According to page 39 of the Joint Committee report on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill Act 2016, Indian Intelligence Bureau has clearly indicated that according to their record, they are only 31,313 people belonging to the minority communities (Hindus- 25447, Sikhs -5807, Christians -55, Buddhists -2 and Parsis 2) who have been given Long Term Visas on the basis of their claim of religious persecution in their respective countries and want Indian citizenship. Hence, only these many individuals will be the immediate beneficiaries. The remaining would have to prove that they had sought refuge in India because of religious persecution. Also, if they had not declared so when they arrived in India, it will be pretty difficult to prove the same after so many years. Also, every such claim would be enquired into, including through R&AW before a final decision is taken.”
The session was concluded with Manzar Jameel, a member of the Forum reciting Urdu Poet Faiz’s couplet – “Bol Ke Lab Azaad Hai Tere (Speak, for you are free to speak).”
