The CRPC is organising a national convention on Tuesday to highlight the plight of the Bengalis in Assam.
At a press conference her on Monday representatives of CRPC urged both the centre and Assam government to resolve the ‘D’ voter issue on priority.
It said that the ‘D’ or Doubtful/ Dubious voter issue was against existing law of the country and discriminatory against Bengali speaking people of Assam.
It said that police are terrorizing, torturing and humiliating lakhs of people in the name of ‘D’ voter which the suspected as Bangladeshis.
The CRPC is organising a national convention on Tuesday to highlight the plight of the Hindu Bengalis in Assam.
CRPC has called for increasing the number of tribunals in the State and augmentation of the verification process.
Addressing a press conference here, CRPC chief advisor, Hafiz Rashid Choudhury and president, Nripendra Ch Saha said the 29 tribunals functioning in the State are not at all sufficient to dispose of the huge number of cases in the next 10 years. They estimate the ‘D’ voters to be over 2.21 lakh in the State.
Hafiz Rashid Choudhury said that CRPC wanted the State Government to set up screening committees at the police station level. The screening committee may comprise representatives of All Assam Students Union, All Assam Minority Students Union and others to screen the cases before recommending them to the tribunals, he said.
According to CRPC the total number of cases referred to the Foreigner’s Tribunal as on 31-12-1010 is 406451 which includes 1,67,228 cases of ‘D’ Voters as per Affidavit filed by the State Government before the Gauhati High Court.
“Some of these cases have been tried by the Tribunals, many have died during this long 13 years, many names have been dropped on the plea that they are untraceable but the reality being that they have shifted to other places in search of their livelihood but even the number of D-Voters found in the last Assembly election are 1,57,465”, it said.
Hafiz Rashid Choudhury said that there should be some new legislation for Assam or amendment of the existing legislation for extending citizenship to all Bengali Hindus, Manipuri Hindus, Buddhist and Christian who entered Assam on after 25th March 1971 in view of the National Commitments given immediately after independence and to all other minorities living permanently and peacefully for last many years.
“We are having frequent discussion with Bangladesh Govt. on various issues but we never raise the point that there are lakhs of Bangladeshis in India”, said Nripendra Ch Saha
it may be recalled that Bangladesh says that there are no Bangladeshi in India and “it will not allow Bengladesh to be a dumping ground of Indian beggars”.
“Where should these people go” asks CRPC
The Citizens Rights Preservation Committee, Assam, was formed in 1979 to fight against bigot agenda of all kinds, and to ensure the rightful place for everyone in the multi-ethnic mosaic of Assam.
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