Those Excluded from Final NRC to Get a Window of 120 Days to File Appeals

Guwahati, August 30, 2019:

The NRC authorities posted a message on social media informing the people of Assam that they need not be disheartened if their names are excluded in the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The authorities have urged the people not to believe the rumours circling around the NRC. Moreover, the NRC authority has declared that the non-inclusion of a person's name in the NRC does not amount to his/her being declared a foreigner. Moreover, every individual kept out of the final NRC can appeal to the Foreigners' Tribunal (FT). The time limit for filing appeals on FTs has been increased from 60-120 days.

Not only this, the Government will provide legal aid to those needy people who have been excluded from NRC, through the District Legal Services Authorities.

Moreover, to hear the appeals, an increased number of FTs are being established at convenient locations.

It may be mentioned here that the fear of being excluded from the NRC has caused a great deal of suffering to a large number of the people of Assam

It has been discovered that about 89% who have been excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) are suffering from anxiety.

This staggering figure has been revealed by a survey by the National Campaign Against Torture (NCAT) has revealed.

The NCAT report also pointed out that mental torture had forced at least 31 persons to commit suicide since July 2015 after being excluded from the NRC.

The NCAT conducted a field survey on the mental health of the NRC-excluded in Baksa, Goalpara, and Kamrup districts from July 16 to 20.

The report, “Assam’s NRC: Four Million Tales of Mental Torture, Trauma and Humiliation” was released on Friday.

According to the survey, of the 91 respondents interviewed, 81 said they had been suffering from extreme anxiety due to the fear of deportation and of separation from family members.

Their woes are further compounded by a lack of money to appear before the Foreigners’ Tribunals or approach the Gauhati High Court and the Supreme Court. Nine others were found to be suffering from moderate anxiety and one from mild anxiety.

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