Day 46 – Q 3.Do you think the ongoing exercise of NRC can affect Indo-Bangladesh relations? What are the alternatives available to address the emerging tensions? Suggest.

3. Do you think the ongoing exercise of NRC can affect Indo-Bangladesh relations?  What are the alternatives available to address the emerging tensions? Suggest. 

क्या आपको लगता है कि एनआरसी का चालू अभ्यास भारत-बांग्लादेश संबंधों को प्रभावित कर सकता है? उभरते तनावों को हल करने के लिए उपलब्ध विकल्प क्या हैं? सुझाव दें।

Approach:

• Briefly mention what is NRC and its background
• In the body try to mention NRC’s implication on Indo-Bangladesh relations
• Give suggestions how it can be addressed

Synopsis:

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) contains names of Indian. The NRC was prepared in 1951, after the Census of 1951 it was prepared by recording particulars of all the persons enumerated during that Census. The NRC will include names of person or their descendants whose name appear in NRC 1951 or any of the Electoral Rolls up to the midnight of 24th March 1971. Recent result of leaving out 40 lakh applicants from the final draft of the NRC in Assam has raised a furore.

Assam has long resented the influx of Bangladeshi Muslims, citing pressure on its limited land and resources. To weed out migrants, the Assam Accord was signed in 1985, which says anyone who entered the state after 1971 would be considered an illegal resident.

(Just for information)

(Assam Agitation (1979-1985): It was a reactionary movement, led by All Assam Student Union (AASU), who was instigated by various cultural, political & economic threats like loss of jobs in favour of the immigrants.

After six years, a memorandum of settlement called Assam Accord was signed between Union Government and AASU.

Issues arising out of migration:

• Illegal migration threatens Assamese citizens to become minorities in their own homelands.

• Population explosion happens which puts a strain on resources.

• Wages of labour become low.

• There are cases of civilian violence and terrorism arising due to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.)

Effects on Indo-Bangladesh relationship of on-going exercise of NRC:

• India does not have deportation treaty with Bangladesh and Nepal so there are complexities in deportation of illegal migrants.
• Bangladesh officials consider this process as an internal matter of India and it doesn’t want to interfere in it, so officially implications might not go against India.
• In the absence of Bangladesh’s cooperation and a well-defined extradition policy deportation may create a humanitarian crisis since the migrants living in Assam for a long time have settled and expanded families. This may even fiddle with the contentious Indo-Bangla Relations; especially in the present scenario where India cannot afford to drive a trusted ally into China’s welcoming arms.
• Bangladeshi PM had been highlighting cordial ties and bilateral coo­peration in a wide range of areas between India and Bangladesh as a major diplomatic success of her Awami League government, this may get jeopardise.
• The course of the NRC in Assam and how it plays out in the rest of India are issues that have begun to bother policy planners in Dhaka as there is already anti-India sentiments are growing exponentially in Bangladesh as per the news reports.
• The anxiety could even heighten in coming months, as Bangladesh moves closer to the year-end parliamentary elections.

Suggestions:

• India officially has assured Bangladesh that it is list prepared under orders of Supreme Court and the process of identification of citizens of Assam is still underway and it is not anything finalised yet and they want to keep in touch with Bangladesh government till the end of the process.
• NRC process is being monitored by the Supreme Court, and the court has to be extremely vigilant in this regard and be seen delivering justice to all.
• We need to involve the Bangladesh officials in the process, so that it will be easy to convince them regarding the transparency in the process.
• In case of deporting the people, there is a need to get a clarity of policy about those people who have identified as illegal immigrants and also India need to assure them any financial assistance to lessen their burden as Bangladesh is already burdened with the recent rohingya’s refugee crisis.
• Many illegal migrants who were earlier declared foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunals have either absconded to other states to evade arrest or are dead.
• Since the deportation of illegal migrants is not feasible, the only option before the government is to let them reside in the country on humanitarian grounds but after stripping them of all citizenship rights.
• Bangladesh is already upset at India’s failure to deliver on a promised settlement for sharing the waters of Teesta. India needs to fulfil all other commitments like teesta water agreements, to give some confidence to the Bangladeshis.

Conclusion:

India has accorded Bangladesh a special place in its scheme of things, signifying close neighbourly cooperation. If the NRC issue is allowed to get out of hand to pander to popular sentiment in Bangladesh, it could seriously jeopardize India-Bangladesh relations. More importantly, it could also have a negative impact on present Bangladesh government chances in the impending general elections and add to the list of grievances voters have against the Awami League government. That is the last thing the Indian leadership would want to happen in one of its closest allies in the neighbourhood.

Best Answer: no best answer.