NRC is cruelty on Indians: Rajmohan Gandhi

Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, on Saturday, came out against the National Register of Citizens (NRC), saying that it was cruelty on Indians.

Gandhi was speaking to reporters, after the inaugural ceremony of a two-day national workshop on ‘Madhyama-Prajasathe’ (media and democracy), organised by Gandhi Study Centre of University of Mysore and Gandhi Vichara Parishat, here.

He said that in South Africa, Gandhi's first satyagraha was against some kind of NRC. In 1907-08, Gandhi staged a satyagraha against forced registration of Indians in South Africa.

"Why should ordinary people prove that they are Indians? We assume that everybody is Indian," said Rajmohan Gandhi.

"The policy is unfortunate and the people of India are not happy with it. In Assam, millions of people lost money and life while trying to prove their citizenship over the past four years. Repetition of such an exercise will be cruelty on the Indian people apart from being unconstitutional and against independence,” he added.

Any government that opposes dissent can never succeed in the long run, said Gandhi.

“Indians must embrace the right to dissent and the right to criticise. People must remain united and non-biased. Indian people began to express their unhappiness over suppression of dissent,” he said.