Centre, Assam government devising new methods to drive out foreigners: Himanta Biswa Sarma

GUWAHATI: Just ahead of publication of the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Saturday, Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Centre and state government is devising new methods to drive out foreigners for NRC has mot meet the aspiration and wishes of the people of the state.

Sarma while talking to media persons on Friday said, “NRC exercise has not gone on the expected lines. We feel that this is not like people expected. The Supreme Court while scrapping the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1983 (IMDT) stated that border districts of Assam has witnessed population explosion.”

He said that however if draft NRC which was published last year is seen, these bordering districts witnessed exclusion percentage of just 6 to 7 percent while cosmopolitan area like Kamrup metro witnessed exclusion to the tune of 17 percent. “NRC has not reflected the aspiration and wishes of people as it was expected.”


Sarma said the publication of final NRC on Saturday is just a phase. “One must not read too much into who is included and who is excluded. Our prime objective is to maintain peace. For Hindus, muslims, Christians and Buddhists whose names are not there, foreigners’ tribunal are the ultimate deciding authority as who is the foreigner.”

The finance minister while stating that NRC is not a “document of community “ or “much awaited document” as termed by some organisations for in districts like South Salmara and Dhubri the rate of exclusion in draft NRC is just 6 percent while in KarbiAnglong it is 16 percent.

While South Salmara and Dhubri are Muslim minority dominated areas KarbiAnglong is a tribal dominated area. Sarma said that nothing to be elated about NRC. , “We are thinking on new ways to chase out the foreigners. Centre and state government is devising new methods to drive out foreigners.”