NRC in Assam not to impact Census 2021 enumeration: Registrar General of India

All persons living in Assam, barring the foreigners having diplomatic status, would be enumerated in the Census 2021 to be conducted in February next year, Registrar General of India told DH.

This puts all speculation, that all those excluded from the updated list of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and those already declared foreigners could be excluded from the Census operations in Assam, to rest.

"All persons (excluding the foreigners and their families, who are having diplomatic status) living in any area during the enumeration period from February 9 to 28, 2021 are eligible to be enumerated in the Census," deputy registrar general in the office of RGI, B R Samal said, while replying to an email from DH correspondent.

When asked about those already declared foreigners by foreigner tribunals or courts, Samal further clarified, "As per the instructions contained in our instruction manual for enumerators, all foreigners (having no diplomatic status) staying in any parts of India for the entire 20 days of enumeration are to be enumerated."

More than 19.06 lakh people, out of the 3.26 lakh applicants, were left out of the NRC after they failed to prove with documents that they or their forefathers lived in Assam or any other part of the country before March 24, 1971.

The cut-off date was decided in the Assam Accord of 1985, which was signed with organisations leading the Assam Agitation from 1979 to 1985.

The speculation about the possible exclusion of the NRC left-outs spread, as the 1.20 lakh D (doubtful) voters and more than one lakh "declared foreigners" were barred from casting their votes by the Election Commission, till their names were cleared by courts.

Although these people were included in the 2011 census, exclusion of these persons from the final list of the NRC in August 2018 deepened fear and speculation.

An official in the state government said the NRC would make no impact, as the Census has nothing to do with citizenship.

In a review meeting about preparation for the Census, Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna on February 10 said the next Census was significant in the state in view of publication of the updated list of the NRC. He also asked the officials to be careful to prevent the spread of wrong information about the Census exercise.