Sahitya Academi Award-winning novelists Nirupama Borgohain, Hiren Gohain, Arupa Patangia Kalita along with 200 intellectuals, academicians, journalists, activists, litterateurs and civic society organization members on July 17 appealed to the state and Union government for a humanitarian approach towards the National Registers of Citizens (NRC), D Voters’ issue and the people who are kept in the six detention centres of Assam.

“The question of citizenship has led a section of people towards an endless phobia. In order to prove citizenship, people committed suicide which has become frequent headlines now. Thousands of people have been imprisoned at the detention centres. New people are being sent there because of bias and defective foreigners’ tribunal system. It is quite strange that some citizens are being doubted based on their ethnic identity. Is this judicious? The family members of freedom fighters, Kargil war veteran and other noted individuals were not spared from the detention centres,” the civil society said at a gathering at the Guwahati Press Club on July 17.

“People are comparing the detention centres with Hitler’s concentration camp. Is this Hitler’s principles or doctrines are being implemented in the land of Sankardeva and Azan Peer? The question keeps chasing us,” the statement signed by the 200 persons read.

Addressing on behalf of an ailing Nirupama Borgohain, Patangia Kalita said: “We want fair NRC but in the name of it, no people should be pushed towards misery. The politics revolving around the foreigners should be stopped. Humanity should not die in the name of NRC. The characteristic of mainstream Assamese society has been democratic…but witnessing the current situation is disastrous. A dark illusion is floating over us in the name of NRC.”

The signatories also demanded:

  • The functioning of detention camps should be stopped, and the people be released immediately
  • The selfish ‘conspiracy’ behind declaring Indian citizen as foreigners should end. Resolve the issues with public monitoring process.The ‘D voter’ issue should be solved.
  • Harassment in the name of NRC claims and objections should end.

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About Rokibuz Zaman

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Rokibuz Zaman is a journalist based in Guwahati