Hitesh Dev Sharma
Guwahati, December 27, 2019: Ignoring all concerns and public displeasure, the controversial and biased ACS official Hitesh Dev Sarma is all set to dilute NRC after taking formal charge of State Coordinator, NRC on December 23, 2019 was first appointed to the post following the departure of Prateek Hajela on November 11, 2019. His appointment raised a huge outcry from all sections of people! The reason was not far to see: many of his facebook posts were targeted against certain communities, appeared to be spreading hate and even in violation of the law of the land. When the protests reached a significant level, Sarma hid himself from public view and went on long leave. The reason of his disappearance or absence was not explained either by the department of home or the office of the chief minister, government of Assam. Babulal Sarma was appointed as State Coordinator of NRC in the month of December but before he could take charge, Hitesh Dev Sarma stepped back in and took charge as NRC State Coordinator on December 23, 2019.
The assumption of charge of the position of NRC State Coordinator by Hitesh Dev Sarma has caused a jolt and raised concerns among people of the state. It is being seen as nothing short of a brazen effort to dilute the entire NRC process . Congress MP Abdul Khaleque, reacting promptly to the development, submitted a memorandum to Governor of Assam on December 26, 2019 in which, he said, “pursuant to the various controversial (facebook) posts shared by Mr. Dev Sarma in social media against a particular community, it is not desirable to appoint such a biased person to handle a highly sensitive position i.e. State Coordinator of the National Register of Citizens. From the various posts the bias of Mr Dev Sarma is quite apparent and palpable. His conduct and views regarding this matter prima facie shows a high degree bias, partisan attitudes take many forms. This may be pecuniary bias, personal bias, bias as vis-a-vis subject matter in dispute or policy bias etc. In the instant case, I am concerned with his bias against a particular community. Therefore, Mr. Dev Sarma is not a fit person to handle such a sensitive post.”
In this context, Khaleque has demanded that the Governor of Assam intervene. He states, “the good office of Governor must take cognizance of the above mentioned issues with the concerned authorities on an urgent basis and cancel the appointment of Hitesh Dev Sarma as the new Assam Coordinator of the National Register of Citizens.”
It may be mentioned that Mr Hitesh Dev Sarma had, earlier in his Facebook posts, spewed venom against the minority Muslim community and the Bengali Hindu community of Assam. Earlier, when he was Deputy Director of the NRC, Assam, he had been removed from his post due to this kind of bias. After his removal from the post of Deputy Director, NRC, Sarma, without naming the Congress, had alleged that a party was responsible for giving citizenship to Bengali Hindu community of Assam by enacting, “The Immigrants (expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950. He also alleged that through the Assam Accord the AASU has paved the way for giving citizenship to 50 lakh people between 1950-1971. He also made a series of unsubstantiated allegations against Congress, Muslims, Bengali Hindus and Assamese nationalist forces only to appease his mentor and Assam strongman Himanta Biswa Sarma, who presently holds the post of minister of health, finance and PWD in the government of Assam. In his Facebook post he has never failed to praise Himanta Biswa Sarma, especially when the controversial Minister has used his clout to spread hate against certain communities.
Taking charge as State Coordinator of NRC, Hitesh Dev Sarma is presently busy filing a fresh affidavit before the Honourable Supreme Court of India. The next hearing is scheduled for January 6, 2020. According to sources within the NRC office, in his affidavit Hitesh Dev Sarma will support the government demand for re-verification of those excluded from the NRC, ie, 20% people especially from Muslim communities in the Indo-Bangladesh bordering areas of Assam. Towards this end, he is reportedly digging out many microscopic level errors of those hapless people included in NRC. He is also doing this work on his own as he has little or no faith in the officials involved in NRC work at present. He appears to be trying to establish the fact that the government demand for re-verification is just and genuine so that Supreme Court allows the re-verification of 20% NRC exclusions. If the Supreme Court gives him the go on ahead, sources expect that Sarma will co-opt or depute a person of questionable repute to forcefully find out some names to exclude them from yet another final NRC! If this happens, then, the entire process of NRC will be on hold. It is with this larger gameplan that the government of Assam has deputed a very controversial officer with highly sensitive work.
