In a significant move ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the Assam government has initiated a drive to expedite the expulsion of individuals officially declared as foreigners. The state aims to complete the deportation process within one week of identification.
Accelerated Process for Deportation
The new directive focuses on individuals who have been unable to prove their Indian citizenship before the critical cut-off date of March 24, 1971. Under the existing framework, those who fail to provide valid documentation establishing their presence or lineage in India before this date are legally classified as 'declared foreigners'.
Once identified through judicial processes, primarily via the Foreigners Tribunals, these individuals are currently held in designated detention centres across the state. They remain in these facilities until the complex and often protracted expulsion procedures are finalized.
Electoral Context and Implementation
The push for a swift, one-week expulsion timeline is set against the backdrop of impending Assembly polls in the state. The issue of illegal immigration has long been a central and highly sensitive political topic in Assam's electoral landscape.
This accelerated process seeks to address the backlog of cases and the prolonged detention of individuals. The state machinery is now tasked with coordinating closely with central agencies and diplomatic channels to facilitate the rapid physical deportation of declared foreigners to their country of origin, which is typically Bangladesh.
Implications and Legal Framework
The use of March 24, 1971 as the cut-off date is anchored in the Assam Accord of 1985. This date holds immense constitutional and social significance for the state, forming the bedrock of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update process as well.
The move to shorten the period between identification and expulsion is likely to have wide-ranging implications. It impacts the lives of those in detention, the administration of justice, and the political discourse in the region. Human rights groups have previously raised concerns over the conditions in detention centres and the lengthy incarceration of individuals, including some who may have spent years awaiting deportation.
As reported by Sumir Karmakar, this development marks a decisive shift in the state's approach to handling the declared foreigners issue, signaling a more urgent and time-bound administrative stance as the election season approaches.
