JORHAT, March 21 - To ensure an error-free procedure for updating National Register of Citizens (NRC) and to protect the legitimate interests of the indigenous people from the threat of illegal migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh, a forum of sensitive citizens, named Prabajan Birodhi Mancha (PBM) today sent a memorandum to the President, Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of Jorhat.
Taking out a rally of more than 1000 citizens from Jorhat stadium to the Deputy Commissioner�s office via Gar Ali of the city, convenor of the forum senior advocate Upamanyu Hazarika and the representatives of various students� organisations submitted the memorandum which included 50,000 signatures in support of their demands.
The signatories of Mariani, Jorhat, Teok and Majuli stated that the provisions of the Citizenship Act that granted citizenship to a person by birth should be amended as it may confirm the Indian citizenship to the sons and daughters of illegal migrants who were born after March 25,1971 in any part of the state.
Eviction of illegal migrants from government lands, grazing fields and other forest land and the implementation of the specified procedures of Assam Accord to detect and deport illegal migrants and two other demands were also stated in the memorandum.
A CBI investigation into the cases of issuing fabricated identity proofs to the illegal migrants and the involvement of state government officials in such cases was also demanded by the forum. �Reserve land.... government jobs and government benefits only to those indigenous persons who were citizens of India in 1951 and their descendants,� the memorandum stated.
With an appeal to the President, Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister to take urgent steps to fulfil their demands, the forum mentioned that if the measures are not carried out immediately on the basis of the recent NRC update, the indigenous people of the state will become a minority group by 2040.
