During the current times which is being defined as ‘testing’ due to the corona scare overlapping the length and breadth of the country and all national engagements seemed tied with this overwhelming  challenge, a few developments on Monday, however, have once again brought the CAA-NPR-NRC matrix into focus. Neighbour Meghalaya, which has just experienced a brief yet sordid episode of CAA-linked violence a few weeks back, has decided to take no chances and as such, has passed a resolution in its Assembly urging the Centre to grant full exemption in terms of area from this controversy-fanning law, including the left-out areas of the ‘protective’ Sixth Schedule, a part of which is also the 2 sq km area of the Shillong Municipality. Likewise, in down south, the Telengana Assembly going a step ahead has passed a resolution conveying opposition not just to CAA, but to NPR and NRC as well and has urged the Centre to amend the CAA to remove all references of religions or foreign countries. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Centre in defence of the CAA has submitted a preliminary affidavit in the SC claiming it as ‘perfectly legal and constitutional’. Although the nation will have to wait for the apex court’s verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the law, the matter which is worrying is that along with its two purportedly linked ‘companions’, it has created ruckus to the extent that the whole nation seems standing on the verge of being ideologically divided, in addition to the general perception that its secular character is being compromised.

To arrive at how the trio is creating an invisible line of division within the country, it is necessary to have a look at the response pattern of the states and UTs. In as many as 11 states & UTs, there are wide differences in accepting the NPR in its current format. Before Telangana, Kerala, Punjab, Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry, Delhi and Bihar had already chosen the same path and in terms of an overall population-wise view when translated into percentage, it is a whopping 53%, which means more than half the nation is against it. But, caught in the crossfire seems to be the decadal census exercise which is facing a prospect of multiple obstacles due to a growing mass anxiety against NPR. This will be too costly in the long-run as a correct census data is the basis for formulating almost all developmental policies and programmes.  

The nation has witnessed much of the ‘undesirable aftermath’ of the CAA and is living in a state of confusion over NPR-NRC. Reiterating the ubiquitous feeling once more that nobody is going to gain anything, one can only wish saner counsels prevail.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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