Politics Of Migration And Citizenship: A Study Of National Register Of Citizens In Assam
Politics Of Migration And Citizenship: A Study Of National Register Of Citizens In Assam

Author(s): Rimpi Borah
Subject(s): Migration Studies, Politics and Identity, Asylum, Refugees, Migration as Policy-fields
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: migration; citizenship; identity; assamese; indegenous;
Summary/Abstract: Historically speaking, the residents of Assam were dispersed into various identity groups like the Assamese, plain tribal, hill tribal, Hindu Bengali, and Muslim Bengali among others during the contestation on the question of citizenship. The migration of different communities to Assam led to strife between the Assamese and ‘bideshi’ (or foreigner)/‘Ona-Axomiya’ (or non-Assamese) over access to resources. The immigrant communities came to be associated with two terms bahiragota (outsider) and bidexhi (foreigner). A line of demarcation was drawn between the 'indigenous' and 'outsiders' and a cry for the protection of 'Assamese identity' began to germinate, which eventually led to the updating of national register of citizens in Assam. This paper traces the history of NRC and socio-political dynamics behind the exercise in construction of illegality/alienness of the people.

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