Assam: 14-year-old girl commits suicide, family blames NRC
What's the story
Since the process of National Register of Citizens (NRC) started, residents of Assam have been rushing to prove they are Indian citizens, and naturally so. After the first draft was published in July last year, authorities released an Additional Draft Exclusion List on Wednesday. However, this new list turned tragic for a family as their daughter committed suicide after being "excluded". Here's what happened.
Context
Understanding what is NRC and why it matters
NRC, aimed at weeding out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from the country, is being updated for the first time since 1951. In July last year, the first draft was published carrying names of 2.89 crore people. Some 40 lakh people were left out and they were asked to furnish documents proving their citizenship. The Supreme Court ordered authorities to complete the process by July 31.
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On Wednesday, more than 1L people were dropped from NRC
After the initial list, the Additional Draft Exclusion List, having names of 1,02,462 people, was released. These people have time till July 11 to submit proofs of their citizenship at designated NRC centers.
Suicide
Deceased was confident NRC's final draft will have her name
Now, being excluded from the latest list increases a person's chances of featuring in the final draft. But 14-year-old Noor Nahar Begum, who belongs to Roumari Chapori village, didn't realize this. Apparently, she was also excluded from the 2018 list but she was confident that the final draft will have her name. When she was "dropped" from the new list, she allegedly committed suicide.
Confusion
After Noor's father gave her the news, she committed suicide
"Noor took the extreme step after her father went to the NRC Seva Kendra at Roumari and failed to find her name in the list and told her this over the phone," one of her relatives told IANS. Reportedly, she hanged herself from the dupatta she was wearing. Another relative said the family didn't know Additional Draft Exclusion list was different from final NRC.
Reaction
Subsequently, student leader blamed state government for Noor's death
Noor's untimely death sparked outrage in the area. Abdul Hai, who is a leader of All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU), paid a visit to her home. Blaming the state government for her demise, Hai said, "There is so much confusion over the NRC process and the government has failed to ensure proper publicity regarding the process, which has led to the incident."
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Death not linked with NRC, probe is on: Police
However, Darrang Superintendent of Police, Amrit Bhuyan, dismissed the allegations. "There is a report of a girl committing suicide from Roumari Chapori area. However, suicide is not related to the NRC. There must be some other reasons behind the incident," he said.