GUWAHATI, Aug 26 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has expressed confidence that there would be no law and order problem in Assam following the publication of the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) on August 31. He also said that the people of the State would cooperate with the Government to maintain peace.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, the Chief Minister said that the publication of the NRC would be peaceful. The situation after the draft of the NRC was published was also peaceful. He pointed out that even during the publication of the draft of the NRC, there were apprehensions that there might be disturbance in some parts of the State. But the process went off peacefully and no part of the State faced any law and order problem. �As the people of the State have cooperated with the process of updating the NRC right from the beginning, I am confident that there would be no trouble after the publication of the final NRC,� he added.
Sonowal, who is also in charge of the Home Department, said that the Government has taken adequate precautionary measures to ensure maintenance of peace in the State after the publication of the NRC.
He is reviewing the situation in the State in meetings with senior officers and on last Friday, he held meeting with the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to review the overall situation. A close watch on the situation has been kept and the necessary instructions have been percolated down to the grass root level of administration and police. There should not be any apprehension in the minds of the people, he said.
The Chief Minister recently held a meeting with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue and sought additional forces. He said that the Central Government has been providing all required help to the State and even during the last meeting, the Union Home Minister assured all required help. �The Central and State Governments are committed to the cause. Over the years, the Central and State Governments are doing all the needful to ensure that the process of updating the NRC is completed smoothly,� he asserted.
Replying to a question, Sonowal said that the Centre has sent additional forces to the State to deal with the situation. But at the same time, he said, �the people of Assam are more important than forces. All sections of people are cooperating with the Government to ensure that the NRC is published without any problem. The Government has also kept the communication channels open with all the stakeholders including youths, senior citizens, VDPs, students� bodies etc and with the cooperation of everyone, the Government would be able to maintain peace.�
However, the Chief Minister did not divulge the Government�s plan on the fate of the people, whose names will not be included in the NRC. He said that after the publication of the NRC, the persons whose names do not appear would have the right to appeal before the Foreigners� Tribunals and there would be enough time for the Government would formulate strategies.
