DIPHU, Sept 1 - The CPI(ML) has urged the Left parties and justice-loving citizens to stand by and render every help possible, including legal aid to those left out of the final NRC list published on August 31 last.
Dipankar Bhattacharya, general secretary of the CPI(ML) in a press release issued from New Delhi stated that �more than 19 lakh persons stand excluded from the recently published National Register of Citizens list. We are deeply concerned about the scale of the potential humanitarian crisis represented by the exclusion of such a large number of people. Those excluded have to apply to the Foreigners Tribunals within 120 days. While the Assam Government has said it will extend legal help, and civil society groups too are organising legal and paralegal help, the fact remains that most of the excluded people are going to find this -process extremely difficult. We therefore appeal to Left activists and justice-loving citizens to come forward to volunteer their resources, help and support and stand by the excluded people as they face the Foreigners Tribunals and courts and seek justice�.
Bhattacharya further mentioned that �What is of greatest concern is that neither the State nor the Central Government has any roadmap for the nearly 2 million people facing the prospect of statelessness. Pending the process of FT hearings, those excluded from the NRC final list must enjoy full citizenship rights. There are reports of big detention camps being constructed in Assam. Existing detention camps have already resulted in horrific violation and murder of human rights and we therefore demand their closure and an embargo on new camps. Branding any person a �Doubtful Voter� and placing them indefinitely in a detention camp is inhumane and unconstitutional�.
The CPI (ML) leader has expressed his concern about the upcoming Citizens Amendment Bill which may have relations with the NRC.
