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Why EC excluded Assam from the state SIR list | NRC and other factors, explained
BJP's central and state governments view illegal Bangladeshi infiltrations in Assam as a much bigger issue than they do anywhere else in the country
The principal reason why the Election Commission (EC), which announced the second phase of the pan-India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls covering 12 states and UTs has kept Assam out of their ambit, is that a stricter National Register of Citizens (NRC) is already in place in the state.
A mere SIR will not do. The EC is going to single out Assam for special treatment, where the NRC has already been implemented, making it the only state where it has been updated.
An update exercise for the NRC in Assam was conducted from 2013–2019, under the supervision of the Supreme Court, to identify legal citizens and weed out undocumented immigrants.
The chief election commissioner (EC) Gyanesh Kumar said as much. "Assam has a separate provision in India’s citizenship laws. The second thing is that the Supreme Court-monitored citizenship identification process is about to conclude. In such a situation, the June 24 SIR order (when the first phase of the Bihar SIR was ordered) which applies to the whole country, is not applicable to Assam. Revision instructions for the state will be issued separately,” he told reporters.
Illegal migration of Bangladeshi Muslims has long been an issue that the BJP has highlighted in its manifesto and in its election campaigns.
We take a deep dive into why Assam has been left out of the controversial SIR project and the triggers that have prompted the decision.
Why has Assam been excluded from the SIR drive?
The ruling BJP has long maintained that Assam has for decades been infiltrated by Bangladeshi Muslims, threatening the existence of its indigenous population and prompting a demographic change. The only way the situation can be retrieved is by identifying infiltrators.
What is the position of the Assam government?
The Assam government had told the EC that since it was the only state to have carried out the NRC, the exercise must be factored in whenever the poll panel frames timelines and decides the list of eligibility documents for SIR in the state. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said the NRC, once published, could serve as one of the admissible documents for the SIR.
Are the ruling BJP government’s fears real?
It may be difficult to differentiate between the locals and outsiders, for all practical purposes, since intermingling is common. In terms of bare facts, in Assam, Islam is the second largest and the fastest-growing religion. According to the 2011 Census, the Muslim population in the state stood at approximately 10.68 million, constituting over 34.22% of the total population, making Assam the second-largest Muslim percentage in the country after Jammu and Kashmir.
What are key themes dominating NRC debate in Assam?
The Assam government has maintained that the inclusions and exclusions in it are erroneous, and that the list excludes “indigenous people” while including large numbers of “foreigners.” It has also argued that the number of people who entered the state illegally after March 24, 1971 – the cut-off date for the NRC – is far higher than 19 lakhs.
Are the NRC and SIR projects linked in Assam?
Linking the SIR process in Assam to the NRC could mean a delay, since it has been stuck since the publication of the draft NRC in 2019, which excluded more than 19 lakhs of the 3.3 crore applicants. The Registrar General of India (RGI) has yet to notify it.
What about external factors?
Bangladesh's interim head Muhammad Yunus has sparked a row after his controversial gift to a visiting Pakistani general. His gift included a distorted map of Bangladesh, which includes Assam and other northeastern states as part of the country. That has sparked concern in political and security circles.
Do cultural factors play a role?
Yes, they do. This week, the BJP has demanded a probe after a Congress functionary Bidhu Bhushan Das allegedly sang the Bangladeshi national anthem at a Congress Seva Dal meeting in the state’s Sribhumi district.
Politically, does it help the BJP in Assam?
Curiously in Assam, the Congress has come to be identified with the Muslim community, more than in any other state. The polarization is so complete that the Assam chief minister regularly issues statements that are blatantly anti-minority. It has helped BJP’s prospects, which projects itself exclusively as a Hindu party.
