'Illegal NRC' in Mizoram irks Chakma groups, seek PM Narendra Modi's intervention

Political leaders representing the community including the lone BJP MLA Buddha Dhan Chakma and NGOs submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday alleging that it was an "illegal NRC" and the survey had already been conducted in at least 14 villages inhibited by Chakma community in Lunglei district. Such survey has not been conducted in Mizo inhibited areas, they alleged.

"Hundreds of Chakma villagers had to stand in the queue and fill up the ‘Proforma for identification of recent settlers within Mizoram and verification of their nationality’ and provide their proof of citizenship documents like Voter ID, Aadhaar card, educational certificates and information on past residential addresses along with the duly filled survey form. Worst, the poor Chakma villagers had to provide food, accommodation and translators to the officials of Mizoram government from their own pockets," stated the Chakma leaders in their joint memorandum.

Mizoram’s NRC form has six more questions which were not included in Assam’s NRC: the place of birth, religion, brief history and names of villages last settled with their period of stay, permanent address in the native country, physical features of the surveyee like height, colour of hair and eyes and distinguishing marks, and ground/basis of inclusion in the voter list as per Form 6 by Electoral Registration Officer and Assistant Electoral Registration Officer, they said.

They also called the exercise as racial profiling of the Chakmas on the basis of their ethnicity and religion as the survey form also asked the applicants to mention their religion.

The Chakma political leaders and NGOs urged Prime Minister Modi to immediately intervene into the matter by asking Mizoram to stop the illegal NRC, issue a notification stating that no State Government/UT Administration must conduct any NRC and/or NRC-like survey/exercise for identification of alleged foreigners and ask Mizoram not to use the data/documents obtained during the illegal NRC for any purpose.

Among the Chakma NGOs, the memorandum was signed by Central Young Chakma Association, Central Mizoram Chakma Students Union, Chakma Mahila Samity, Chakma National Council of India, Mizoram Buddhist Association, and Mizoram Chakma Alliance Against Discrimination.

The Chakma leaders of the BJP, Congress, the ruling MNF leaders in the Chakma District Council signed the memorandum.