Citizenship crisis deepens for Brahmaputra's children as records falter

Across Assam, decades of government-issued records are failing the citizenship test before Foreigners Tribunals and the Gauhati High Court. As spelling variations, age mismatches, and shifting residences come under scrutiny, Rahul Karmakar speaks with families that are fighting to prove they belong

Source

The Hindu — National →

Quick Revision

Prelims-testable facts

01The Foreigners Order of 1946 legitimized the establishment of quasi-judicial Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) in Assam.
02The first NRC was prepared in 1951 after the Census, serving as the baseline for citizenship records.
03The 1985 Assam Accord aimed to identify and deport illegal migrants who entered Assam after March 24, 1971.
04Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) have become routine instruments of exclusion in Assam, disregarding due process and constitutional safeguards.
05The Citizenship Act of 1955 grants citizenship by birth to individuals born within the territory of India, except for those born in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands or Lakshadweep.
06Assam's NRC exercise was last updated in 2019, with a total of 3.29 crore people included in the final list.

Trap alerts

Most people think that only foreigners are affected by the citizenship crisis in Assam, but actually, many Indian citizens are also facing difficulties due to errors in government-issued records.
Most people think that the Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) in Assam follow a strict and fair process, but actually, they have been criticized for disregarding due process and constitutional safeguards.

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