![]() ![]() We are not historically a highly documented society even birth certificates are a relatively recent phenomenon. This is not an achievement to be proud of, whatever the transient political benefits might be.īut what if they are indeed illegal? The charge of illegal foreigners cannot be reliably validated because it is so heavily dependent upon documentation. The sudden chorus of demand, by BJP leaders in Delhi, Mumbai and elsewhere, for an Assam-like National Register of Citizens illustrates perfectly the purpose of, and the problem with, the NRC: it fuels xenophobia and could potentially contribute 4.5 million people to the world’s population of 10 million stateless persons. They are being deprived of citizenship altogether. Who belongs in India, and who does India belong to? Political theorist Niraja Gopal Jayal, author of ‘Citizenship and its Discontents: An Indian History’, speaks to Amulya Gopalakrishnan about how our foundational principles of citizenship are being undermined What do you think of the discourse around Assam’s NRC, and what it means for the concept of Indian citizenship? It seems to me that we are moving towards a situation in which those who are second-class citizens today - whether by virtue of their religion, their language or just poverty - are robbed of the dubious dignity of even being second-class. ![]()
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