Skip to main content
Sabrang
Sabrang
Freedom India

EXCLUSIVE! NRC Rejection Slips to be issued only after Covid-19 is brought under control

NRC State Coordinator Hitesh Dev Sarma says timelines are difficult to commit to at this point as everything is in a flux due to the pandemic

Deborah Grey 29 Aug 2020

NRC

On August 21, Hitesh Dev Sarma, the State Coordinator for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, had issued a notification directing all Deputy Commissioners and District Registrars of Citizens Registration (DRCR) to ensure laptops and internet availability for Circle Officers who are to begin the quality check of speaking orders from September 1, 2020.

This spread panic among people who feared that the gathering of people at Nagrik Seva Kendras (NSK) to get their rejection slips could cause further spread of the deadly Coronavirus. So far, Assam has recorded over 1 lakh Coronavirus cases. There were also concerns about burgeoning travel fares amidst the pandemic and how that could prove to be a deterrent for many of those left out of the NRC given that they hail from economically weak backgrounds.

However, in an exclusive interview to CJP’s sister publication SabrangIndia, Sarma said, “Right now most NRC officers are on Covid duty. Very few Circle Officers are free to do the quality check. So, we don’t know how long this will take. Moreover, the quality check procedure will be a completely in-house activity and will be carried out by the Circle Officers using a software. At this quality check stage there is no requirement of any physical interaction with people whose names have been excluded from the NRC.”

Further explaining the process step-by-step Sarma said, “The Circle Officers will first find out the reason for rejection based on the speaking orders. Then they will issue notices to the party concerned. In case the reason for rejection is not clear, the NRC official will ask for a clarification from the authority that issued the speaking order and update it without changing the result of the order.”

Sarma says that people will be required to collect the Reason for Rejection from NSKs. However, Sarma clarified that this process cannot take place amidst the pandemic. “At present we have no provision for issuing the Rejection Slip online. Therefore, people will have to come to their designated NSK and collect the Rejection Slip. But we cannot allow people to gather together at the NSK because of concerns about the spread of the Coronavirus. We cannot ignore social distancing. Therefore, Rejection Slips will not be issued until Covid-19 has been brought under control. However, I cannot commit to a timeline as to when that will happen,” said Sarma.

Sarma also clarified that the deadline for approaching Foreigners’ Tribunals would begin only after receipt of the Rejection Slip and not date of issuance. “It is only logical that the 120-day time period given to people for approaching Foreigners’ Tribunals begins after receipt of the reason for rejection,” said Sarma.

But there are several other concerns, not the least of which is transportation expenditure. A vast majority of people left out of the NRC hail from impoverished backgrounds and can barely afford bus fare to and from the location of the Foreigners’ Tribunal. “Because of Covid, buses require social distancing to be practiced while seating passengers. They have doubled their fares. In some cases, a Rs 200 ticket is not selling for Rs 500! Imagine if a family of 5-7 people has to travel for even one hearing, the expenditure would be impossible for them to incur,” says Nanda Ghosh, CJP’s Assam State In-charge. This has caused much anxiety among people and one can only hope that if the NRC process resumes after the pandemic has been brought under control travel fares will also come down.

The August 21, 2020 notification may be read here:

NRC

 

Related:

BREAKING: NRC related activity put on hold in Assam due to Corona Virus

NRC process to remain on hold in Assam due to Covid-19 lockdown

Reason for Exclusion from NRC only available for 3 lakh people in Assam?

First Covid, now floods; NRC work still on hold in Assam

EXCLUSIVE! NRC Rejection Slips to be issued only after Covid-19 is brought under control

NRC State Coordinator Hitesh Dev Sarma says timelines are difficult to commit to at this point as everything is in a flux due to the pandemic

NRC

On August 21, Hitesh Dev Sarma, the State Coordinator for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, had issued a notification directing all Deputy Commissioners and District Registrars of Citizens Registration (DRCR) to ensure laptops and internet availability for Circle Officers who are to begin the quality check of speaking orders from September 1, 2020.

This spread panic among people who feared that the gathering of people at Nagrik Seva Kendras (NSK) to get their rejection slips could cause further spread of the deadly Coronavirus. So far, Assam has recorded over 1 lakh Coronavirus cases. There were also concerns about burgeoning travel fares amidst the pandemic and how that could prove to be a deterrent for many of those left out of the NRC given that they hail from economically weak backgrounds.

However, in an exclusive interview to CJP’s sister publication SabrangIndia, Sarma said, “Right now most NRC officers are on Covid duty. Very few Circle Officers are free to do the quality check. So, we don’t know how long this will take. Moreover, the quality check procedure will be a completely in-house activity and will be carried out by the Circle Officers using a software. At this quality check stage there is no requirement of any physical interaction with people whose names have been excluded from the NRC.”

Further explaining the process step-by-step Sarma said, “The Circle Officers will first find out the reason for rejection based on the speaking orders. Then they will issue notices to the party concerned. In case the reason for rejection is not clear, the NRC official will ask for a clarification from the authority that issued the speaking order and update it without changing the result of the order.”

Sarma says that people will be required to collect the Reason for Rejection from NSKs. However, Sarma clarified that this process cannot take place amidst the pandemic. “At present we have no provision for issuing the Rejection Slip online. Therefore, people will have to come to their designated NSK and collect the Rejection Slip. But we cannot allow people to gather together at the NSK because of concerns about the spread of the Coronavirus. We cannot ignore social distancing. Therefore, Rejection Slips will not be issued until Covid-19 has been brought under control. However, I cannot commit to a timeline as to when that will happen,” said Sarma.

Sarma also clarified that the deadline for approaching Foreigners’ Tribunals would begin only after receipt of the Rejection Slip and not date of issuance. “It is only logical that the 120-day time period given to people for approaching Foreigners’ Tribunals begins after receipt of the reason for rejection,” said Sarma.

But there are several other concerns, not the least of which is transportation expenditure. A vast majority of people left out of the NRC hail from impoverished backgrounds and can barely afford bus fare to and from the location of the Foreigners’ Tribunal. “Because of Covid, buses require social distancing to be practiced while seating passengers. They have doubled their fares. In some cases, a Rs 200 ticket is not selling for Rs 500! Imagine if a family of 5-7 people has to travel for even one hearing, the expenditure would be impossible for them to incur,” says Nanda Ghosh, CJP’s Assam State In-charge. This has caused much anxiety among people and one can only hope that if the NRC process resumes after the pandemic has been brought under control travel fares will also come down.

The August 21, 2020 notification may be read here:

NRC

 

Related:

BREAKING: NRC related activity put on hold in Assam due to Corona Virus

NRC process to remain on hold in Assam due to Covid-19 lockdown

Reason for Exclusion from NRC only available for 3 lakh people in Assam?

First Covid, now floods; NRC work still on hold in Assam

Related Articles

Hate Speech

Hate a political tool, now a state project: India 2023

There is a chance to make Meta Facebook accountable for its hate generating content on May 31, by voting YES for Proposal 7 titled “Assessing Allegations of Biased Operations in Meta's Largest Market” which is to be presented at Meta's AGM on May 31, 2023. It highlights allegations against Facebook for disseminating hate speech, its failure to address risks and political bias, voices concerns around inadequate content moderation and lack of transparency in platform practices. The writer calls on readers to participate in this campaign on social media to make our republic hate-free

Hate Speech

Hate a political tool, now a state project: India 2023

There is a chance to make Meta Facebook accountable for its hate generating content on May 31, by voting YES for Proposal 7 titled “Assessing Allegations of Biased Operations in Meta's Largest Market” which is to be presented at Meta's AGM on May 31, 2023. It highlights allegations against Facebook for disseminating hate speech, its failure to address risks and political bias, voices concerns around inadequate content moderation and lack of transparency in platform practices. The writer calls on readers to participate in this campaign on social media to make our republic hate-free


Sunday

03

Jan

Pan-India

Saturday

05

Dec

05 pm onwards

Rise in Rage!

North Gate, JNU campus

Thursday

26

Nov

10 am onwards

Delhi Chalo

Pan India

Theme

Stop Hate

Hate and Harmony in 2021

A recap of all that transpired across India in terms of hate speech and even outright hate crimes, as well as the persecution of those who dared to speak up against hate. This disturbing harvest of hate should now push us to do more to forge harmony.
Taliban 2021

Taliban in Afghanistan: A look back

Communalism Combat had taken a deep dive into the lives of people of Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. Here we reproduce some of our archives documenting the plight of hapless Afghanis, especially women, who suffered the most under the hardline regime.
2020

Milestones 2020

In the year devastated by the Covid 19 Pandemic, India witnessed apathy against some of its most marginalised people and vilification of dissenters by powerful state and non state actors. As 2020 draws to a close, and hundreds of thousands of Indian farmers continue their protest in the bitter North Indian cold. Read how Indians resisted all attempts to snatch away fundamental and constitutional freedoms.
Migrant Diaries

Migrant Diaries

The 2020 COVID pandemic brought to fore the dismal lives that our migrant workers lead. Read these heartbreaking stories of how they lived before the pandemic, how the lockdown changed their lives and what they’re doing now.

Campaigns

Sunday

03

Jan

Pan-India

Saturday

05

Dec

05 pm onwards

Rise in Rage!

North Gate, JNU campus

Thursday

26

Nov

10 am onwards

Delhi Chalo

Pan India

Videos

Communalism

Bastar violence: Anti-Christian Campaign causes breach in Adivasi unity

Hundreds of Adivasi church-goers across villages in Narayanpur and Bastar, Chhattisgarh have been experiencing boycott, intimidation and violence since December last year, forcing them to leave their homes and live in refugee camps. Reportedly, Adivasi districts across Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh is seeing a rise Hindutva mobilisation against Christians .

Communalism

Bastar violence: Anti-Christian Campaign causes breach in Adivasi unity

Hundreds of Adivasi church-goers across villages in Narayanpur and Bastar, Chhattisgarh have been experiencing boycott, intimidation and violence since December last year, forcing them to leave their homes and live in refugee camps. Reportedly, Adivasi districts across Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh is seeing a rise Hindutva mobilisation against Christians .

IN FACT

Analysis

Stop Hate

Hate and Harmony in 2021

A recap of all that transpired across India in terms of hate speech and even outright hate crimes, as well as the persecution of those who dared to speak up against hate. This disturbing harvest of hate should now push us to do more to forge harmony.
Taliban 2021

Taliban in Afghanistan: A look back

Communalism Combat had taken a deep dive into the lives of people of Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. Here we reproduce some of our archives documenting the plight of hapless Afghanis, especially women, who suffered the most under the hardline regime.
2020

Milestones 2020

In the year devastated by the Covid 19 Pandemic, India witnessed apathy against some of its most marginalised people and vilification of dissenters by powerful state and non state actors. As 2020 draws to a close, and hundreds of thousands of Indian farmers continue their protest in the bitter North Indian cold. Read how Indians resisted all attempts to snatch away fundamental and constitutional freedoms.
Migrant Diaries

Migrant Diaries

The 2020 COVID pandemic brought to fore the dismal lives that our migrant workers lead. Read these heartbreaking stories of how they lived before the pandemic, how the lockdown changed their lives and what they’re doing now.

Archives