No worry for Bangladesh over Assam issue: Envoy

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday said Bangladesh has nothing to worry about the National Register for Citizens (NRC) in Assam saying there will be no impact on Bangladesh-India relations.

While talking to editors and senior journalists at the High Commission, the High Commissioner said the NRC is a process, and scrutiny for those left out is going on and the process is not completed yet.

On July 23, Indian media quoted Bangladesh High Commissioner to New Delhi Syed Muazzem Ali mentioning that “As of now, this is an internal matter.”

The government of India has asked the state government of Assam to ensure that law and order is maintained and no one is allowed to take the law into their hands.

“No person will be harassed and no one will be allowed to create fear or panic,” said the government of India in a statement on Tuesday.

The government of India will provide all necessary help to the government of Assam in this regard, it said emphasising that all possible arrangements are made to ensure the safety and security of all.

Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal has said there is no question of anyone being put in detention camp. “Moreover, no one will be treated as a foreigner if his or her name doesn’t appear in the NRC draft,” said the Chief Minister.

The NRC process is mandated by the Supreme Court of India and the process is not a decision of the government of India, the statement reads. “The Supreme Court of India is monitoring the process. It’s not a political process.”

The government of India and the state government of Assam are working as per the instructions and under the supervision of the Supreme Court of the country which has directed them to complete the exercise.

The NRC list that was published on 30 July is ‘only a draft’.

Every individual of Assam state will be given adequate time and opportunity to prove his claim before the final NRC is published, said the statement.

It is taking place as per the special provision of the citizenship act (1955) and the citizenship rule (2003) of the Government of India, as amended.

The government of India and the state government of Assam are ‘committed’ to ensuring that all bona fide citizens of India will be included in the NRC.

Home Minister of India Rajnath Singh has said every individual will get justice and be treated in a humane manner.

source:UNB