Assam’s citizen list not to harm ties with BD

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Thursday said making the list of citizens in Assam is an internal matter of India and they will make sure it does not harm bilateral relationship with Bangladesh.

“This is not an issue of concern. It’s an internal matter of India determining that who’re its citizens and who’re not. We’ll do it in a way that is transparent and we’ll make sure it doesn’t harm our bilateral relationship,” he said.

Shringla came up with the remarks while replying to queries from reporters over the recently published list of Assam’s citizens after a meeting with Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaiul Quader at the Secretariat.

The draft final list of citizens (National Register of Citizens or NRC) in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam was published on July 30, 2018.

India has published a list which effectively strips some four million people in the northeastern state of Assam of their citizenship. The NRC is a list of people who can prove they came to the state by March 24, 1971.

“The procedures are mandated by the Supreme Court of India. The government of India and state government of Assam are duty-bound to follow the order of the Supreme Court. This is not a political process but a judicial one and is overseen by justices of the Supreme Court,” said Shringla.  

He went on saying, “This is only a draft list. Each and every individual of Assam has ample time to submit proper papers and claim to the state government.”

Shringla said he came here to invite Obaidul Quader to attend Mobility Conference scheduled to be held in India in September next.

Source: unb