Is the NRC exclusion really India’s internal issue?

The news of 1.9 million people being excluded from India's National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is certainly worrisome. It is of concern to us because of statements made previously by Indian politicians that alluded to the fact that many of the individuals who should be excluded were illegal immigrants, who had come from Bangladesh and should not stay in India. Thus, the idea that these excluded people would be deported and pushed into Bangladesh is not farfetched. What is even more perturbing is the vagueness with which our foreign minister has treated this rather important issue. He echoed the Indian external minister S Jaishankar's remark that this was "an internal issue" of India. His reminder to journalists that the Indian external abilities minister had said this to them at a press conference is rather perplexing. What about the discussions he had with Mr Jaishankar? Was it any different? Why can we not be informed of the outcome of the discussions?   

The NRC issue has been going on for years, with the list being revised a few times, and the notion of those left out being made to come into Bangladesh has cropped up too. But it seems our foreign ministry is not surefooted on this complex issue, rather vague comments like "I don't think they are Bangladeshis" have been made, which hardly assuages our concerns.

The foreign minister has referred to Mr Jaishankar's assurance that Bangladesh did not have to worry at all about this issue. But we cannot ignore the ground realities. Those who have been left out are considered to be illegal immigrants who have unlawfully stayed in India and are perceived to be from Bangladesh. Although they can all appeal their cases, it is hard to know what the outcome of these proceedings will be. In such a scenario, merely saying there is nothing to be worried about is not enough. While Bangladesh and India enjoy the most cordial of relationships when it comes to national interest, the latter is always the first priority. This is all too clear from India's position on Myanmar regarding the Rohingya crisis.

We, therefore, cannot help but raise the question of how deeply our foreign ministry is engaging in this complex issue of the Indian NRC, a possible crisis in which Bangladesh maybe on the receiving end.