Pursuit of Citizenship in Assam through the Gender Lens

Socio-Legal Review, 2020

Explorations - eJournal of the Indian Sociological Society, 2019

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam has raised several issues pertaining to citizenship, migration and political mobilisation throughout the region. An administrative exercise of this order that uses technology, law and the bureaucracy to address historically contentious grievances within a region of a country is an interesting phenomenon for social scientists working on citizenship in the 21st century. This is more so since approximately nineteen lakh persons from various walks of life and ethnic heritage have been left out of the rolls, leaving every stakeholder (including the ruling party in Assam) disappointed with the outcomes. While there have been great benefits derived from the use of technology, this article argues for closer, nuanced attention to ethnographic details about other contingencies – such as floods and climate change – that influence the process, especially since the process is being promoted for the entire country.

Historically speaking, the residents of Assam were dispersed into various identity groups like the Assamese, plain tribal, hill tribal, Hindu Bengali, and Muslim Bengali among others during the contestation on the question of citizenship. The migration of different communities to Assam led to strife between the Assamese and 'bideshi' (or foreigner)/'Ona-Axomiya' (or non-Assamese) over access to resources. The immigrant communities came to be associated with two terms bahiragota (outsider) and bidexhi (foreigner). A line of demarcation was drawn between the 'indigenous' and 'outsiders' and a cry for the protection of 'Assamese identity' began to germinate, which eventually led to the updating of national register of citizens in Assam. This paper traces the history of NRC and socio-political dynamics behind the exercise in construction of illegality/alienness of the people.

To define Citizenship as the historian Romila Thapar points out is the relationship between the individual and the State wherein the citizen owes allegiance and they perform some agreed upon duties and in return the state has to protect them in various ways. The Citizenship question has always remained a point of debate as where the migrants and immigrants to any region were concerned. Assam has been a land of migrants because of its typical geographical location. Various groups of people of diverse background have entered the region at various point of time. It was only a matter of space and time of their migration wherein their identity vis-à-vis the state can be understood. Amongst all group of migrants, the Bengali Hindus into Assam are the most significant to have entered into Assam at different phases within the paradigm of pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial times. Their arrival had far-reaching implication upon the state and society. Understandably, within the politics of their migration was also associated the question of citizenship. This has led to the evolution of a historiographical narrative of the issue. My paper proposes to look into the narrative of citizenship around this issue and also to understand the broad parameters of the society and the middle class intelligentsia's reaction throughout the historical period to contemporary times.

Economic and Political Weekly, 2019

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam along with being a communal issue is also extremely gendered in nature. In the process of granting citizenship, the state ensures and renaturalises heteronormativity. A process of ascertaining citizenship through lineage can never be inclusive of people who are outside the norms of heterosexual familial structure.

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

Citizenship in the Indian state of Assam is a contentious issue and it is generally associated with the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants (popularly known as Aboidha Bangladeshis). The “Aboidha Bangladeshis” are considered responsible for many problems in Assam. They are also considered as a challenge to the democratic politics of the state. It is widely acknowledged that many illegal immigrants have got registered themselves in the electoral roll and participate in the political process. There has been a long and persistent demand for the detection and deportation of these illegal immigrants to Bangladesh. The National Register of Citizenship (NRC) Assam was initiated to meet this demand of identifying the illegal immigrants. However, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 has diverged from this demand. This act enables granting citizenship to even the illegal immigrants of Hindus, Sikhs, Jain, Parsis, Christians, and Buddhists communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Mus...

In the Name of the Nation, 2020

Chapter 2 of In the Name of the Nation: India and its Northeast (2020)

Asian Ethnicity , 2019

This article is an attempt to unpack how the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 that proposed citizenship on the basis of religious affiliation trace its past from narrative rooted in partition and idea of religious identity in determination of citizenship status in India. The act proposes, persons belonging to minority community namely Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsi and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who have either entered into India without valid travel documents or the validity of their documents have expired are eligible to apply for Indian citizenship by naturalisation in 7 years instead of existing 12 years. Building on existing scholarship, field experience and media reports this article argues proposed citizenship amendment bill that favours citizenship status for persecuted minorities defined primarily as Hindus leaving Muslims is not an attempt to redefine citizenship but reinforce logic that favours narrative of India for Hindus.

South Asian History and Culture, 2020

IAEME PUBLICATION, 2020

The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 is another step to redress long standing migration problem of North-East in general and Assam in particular. The decision of the introduction of citizenship amendment bill, 2016 in the Lok Sabha led to political backlash in the state and unrest in society. After the passing of bill in 2019 Dec by the Parliament and after getting assent of President the bill became as an act i.e. Citizenship amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) an anarchical environment has occurred across the state. People have been leading a life of anxiety and panic. All civil society organization, student union, common people has simultaneously came forward and started protest against discriminatory bill passed by the parliament. The people of Assam have fear that with the introduction of CAA Assamese became a minority in their own soil. And they thought that it also threatened to the Assamese culture and tradition. Bondhs, demonstration has created a lawlessness environment where normalized life of common people was stopped. Importantly, the act of 2019 have no any provision regarding the protection of Assamese indigenous people so that Assamese people vehemently protested towards the protection of their identity, as the act has provided additional opportunity to the migrant community to established their influence in the field of economic and political sector. Therefore the present paper tries to explore the Citizenship Amendment Act and the issue of migration in Assam with the help of secondary sources collected from various published and unpublished reports, articles books etc