GUWAHATI, Aug 28 - Expressing concern at the validity and acceptability of the draft NRC being questioned by various quarters, the Communist Party of India (CPI), Assam State Council has asked the government and the NRC authorities to address all the concerns in the final phase and make the National Register of Citizens free from all errors in the true sense of the term.
Criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its desperate attempts to take the credit for preparing the NRC, the party today said that the saffron party has no moral right to claim credit as the entire process was initiated and completed under the supervision of the Supreme Court of India.
�In fact, the BJP tried to create obstructions for the NRC updating process on several occasions. Even now, several comments from the party leaders, both at the Central and State levels are creating confusion among the people,� CPI State secretary Munin Mahanta told reporters here.
Criticising the Union government for submitting a flawed standard operating procedure (SOP), the CPI leader said the SOP was a reproduction of the previous instruction and no new effort was made to address the contradictions in the process of claims and objections.
�In the past several days, some shocking facts have come to light. While a sizeable number of Indian citizens, including indigenous people, did not find their names in the draft despite giving all necessary documents, names of doubtful citizens and even declared foreigners have been included in the list that was meant to free from the names of illegal infiltrators,� Mahanta added.
He further said that a good number of people, including indigenous, tribal and poor people did not even apply for inclusion of their names in the NRC due to various reasons and overlooking their cases would be a big injustice.
�Just because a section of people could not apply because of ignorance, lack of information or lack of documents, they cannot be categorised as foreigners. Similarly, we have come to know that the state governments of West Bengal, Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan, etc., have not verified the relevant documents sent to them. All these facts must be kept in mind in the final phase,� he mentioned.
Meanwhile, at its executive meeting held recently, the CPI had decided to appeal to all like-minded groups to join hands for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016. It said that since the Left Front, group of citizens led by Dr Hiren Gohain, All Assam Students� Union and also the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti are fighting for the cause, a joint effort will ensure strong deterrence.
Strike: Meanwhile, criticising the BJP government in the State for its short-lived �zero-tolerance� against corruption, the CPI, Assam today said that all the syndicates have resurfaced in the State under new operators.
Opposing the syndicate system in the State and demanding steps to uproot the oil syndicate at Golai in Digboi, the party has launched a strike from August 27. If steps are not taken to address the concerns, the gas agency workers will also join the stir from August 30, the party said.
�The egg, fish, paan, coal and sand syndicates in the State under the Congress rule have resurfaced today mocking at the zero-tolerance claims of BJP,� Mahanta said.
Also demanding a hike in the minimum wages of the tea workers, the CPI has asked the trade unions and other organisations to strengthen the movement.
Demanding effective steps to control price rise of essential commodities, address the unemployment issue, repair roads, bridges and embankments, uproot illegal syndicates and address the flood and erosion problem, the CPI has decided to stage sit-in demonstrations in every district of the State and has sought public support to the same.
