‘We are Indians. But Now We Need NRC to Prove Our Patriotism’

People in Assam celebrate Independence Day. Many not knowing if they’ll remain legal Indians after NRC list is out.

Students celebrating Independence Day in Assam. 

(Photo: The Quint / Anjana Dutta)

As India celebrated its 73rd Independence Day, people in Assam are living in uncertainty, not knowing if the ongoing NRC or National Register of Citizens will identify them as Indians or illegal foreigners.

The final NRC will be declared on 31 August and in a last minute move, the NRC officials issued notices to hundreds of people in Assam to appear for their hearings within a day. Not knowing what lay in store, people rushed to reach the NRC centres which were hundreds of kilometres away from their homes. For many, it was their last journey. Arzina Begum was one of them.

Arzina Begum was killed in an accident when she was travelling for NRC hearing. 

Arzina’s Funeral in Dekachang, Assam.

Arzina was studying in Class 8 at the Jabal-e-Rahman Academy in Boko. This independence day, as the students hoisted the tri-colour and sang the national anthem, they also remembered their departed friend, who had to travel more than 300 kms to Golaghat for her NRC hearing. Arzina was killed when the speeding bus she was travelling in met with an accident.

Fatima Akhtar is late Arzina’s friend. Her name is in the NRC.(Photo: The Quint / Anjana Dutta)

I was Arzina’s best friend since childhood. We are in Class 8 now.  The day before she had to go for the NRC hearing she had an intuition that it would be her last journey. She told us that she won’t be coming back. We are in complete shock that she could foresee what was going to happen with her.

Fatima Akhtar, Arzina’s friend. 

Many students from Jabal-e-Rahman Academy were called for a last minute NRC hearing inspite of their names being included in the draft NRC.(Photo: The Quint / Anjana Dutta)

The NRC website says that a person should be given 15 days of travel time when they are served notices for hearings. Even the Supreme Court directed that hearings should happen at nearby places.

But for many from Dakachang village, only a day’s time was given to appear for the NRC hearing at Golaghat which is more than 300kms away. Many students from Jabal-e-Rahman Academy had to go for these last minute NRC hearings with their parents. Most of them are not sure what will happen when the NRC list comes out on 31 August. Will they remain legal Indians? But for now it is time to celebrate India’s Independence Day and proudly say that they are Indians.

6-year -old Asraful studies in Class 1. He had to appear for the NRC hearing. His name is already there in the draft NRC. (Photo: The Quint / Anjana Dutta)

Mohidul Islam is a pre-primary student. His name was in the draft NRC. He had to appear for the NRC hearing which happened hundreds of kilometres away from his home. (Photo: The Quint / Anjana Dutta)

Anwara Khatun is a student of Jabal-e-Rahman Academy in Dakachang. She had to undertake the last minute journey for the NRC hearing in Golaghat. (Photo: The Quint / Anjana Dutta)

It is estimated that more than a million won’t make it to the final list. The Supreme Court has directed that only the exclusions should be published online.