A state-directed stripping of rights is rendering citizens alien and inaudible | The Indian Express

A state-directed stripping of rights is rendering citizens alien and inaudible | The Indian Express

Written by Pamela Philipose |Updated: September 13, 2019 11:26:10 am

<em>The writer is senior fellow at the Indian Council of Social Science Research, Delhi, researching media issues express@expressindia.com</em>

A state-directed stripping of rights is rendering citizens alien and inaudible

At a time when India is searching for a top slot in the global order and possibly a seat in the Security Council, obligations undertaken by India vis-a-vis a slew of international treaties have either been discarded or trampled upon in NRC procedures.

A People’s Tribunal on “Contested Citizenship in Assam”, held recently in New Delhi, which unpacked the enormous human suffering and chaos unleashed by NRC procedures, was a rare initiative of its kind.

The civic death of nearly two million in Assam has been met with an odd response from the rest of the country. How does one describe it? Ennui? Apathy? Acquiescence? Denial? Considering its ramifications, there has been surprisingly little public action or even conversation on it. A People’s Tribunal on “Contested Citizenship in Assam”, held recently in New Delhi, which unpacked the enormous human suffering and chaos unleashed by NRC procedures, was a rare initiative of its kind.