“The National Register of Citizens in Assam: Political Dynamics and Challenges”

Abstract

The implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam has brought to light a number of issues concerning citizenship, migration, and regional political advocacy. Social scientists studying citizenship in the twenty-first century will find it interesting when an administrative exercise of this kind makes use of the law, technology, and bureaucracy to settle historically difficult complaints within a country's territory. This is particularly true given that almost 19 lakh people of diverse backgrounds and ethnicities were not included in the rolls, disappointing all parties involved—including the Assamese ruling party—with the results. Even though using technology has greatly benefited society, this article makes the case for paying more careful and thoughtful attention to ethnographic details about other contingencies that affect the process, like floods and climate change, especially since the process is being promoted across the nation.