Labour activists have warned that any effort to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will lead to high levels of corruption in the country where the poor have to grease the palms of bureaucrats for obtaining the requisite documents.
Socialist thinker Bapu Heddurshetti, who spoke at a workshop on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the National Population Register and the NRC on Sunday, noted that farmers would have to pay bribes for getting title deeds for their lands. “In such a situation, if you bring a rule that questions the very citizenship of a person, it will push the entire country into corruption,” he noted.
According to Heddurshetti, voter’s ID, Aadhaar and other documents obtained with much struggle are riddled with errors. “The difference in address and errors can lead to the denial of citizenship. It will not be surprising if government employees exploit such situations to make money. Throughout the world, lakhs of people have died in the name of religion and nation. Through the NRC, the government will drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims,” he said.
Several speakers at the workshop, including AITUC state committee president H V Ananta Subbarao, stressed the need to preserve India’s inclusive culture which is rooted in the ideals like ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam’.
“As per the Constitution, India is a secular country. Therefore, it would be wrong to introduce a law based on religion. The government is, however, busy suppressing those raising a voice against its anti-constitutional moves,” Subbarao said.
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