Owaisi Warns Nationwide NRC May Create Greater Hardship For Minorities And Migrants

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise would be “100 times worse”, pointing to the difficulties experienced by several sections of the population during the NRC process in Assam. Owaisi said minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and migrants could face significant challenges if a similar exercise were undertaken across the country. His remarks came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the NRC would be implemented in Manipur using 1951 as the baseline year, ahead of the state Assembly elections. The comments have brought renewed attention to the NRC and the questions surrounding documentation, citizenship verification and the possible impact of such an exercise on different communities.

In a post on X, Owaisi criticised the NRC experience in Assam and warned against extending a similar process nationwide. He described the Assam exercise as “disastrous” and said it had already caused considerable difficulties for people seeking to establish their citizenship. According to Owaisi, the consequences could be significantly greater if an NRC were carried out across the country because of the much larger population involved and the different circumstances faced by people in different states. He specifically referred to minorities, SCs, STs and migrants while making his criticism, arguing that these groups could face particular difficulties in producing the documents required during a citizenship verification process.

The NRC is a register intended to identify Indian citizens, with Assam being the only state where such an exercise has been completed. The Assam NRC process was based on historical documents and records used to establish eligibility for inclusion in the register. The exercise generated extensive debate over documentation requirements and the status of people whose names were excluded. Those left out of the final list were given avenues to challenge their exclusion through designated legal mechanisms. The experience has remained politically and socially contentious, with supporters arguing that citizenship verification is necessary while critics have raised concerns about documentation gaps and the potential impact on vulnerable populations.

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Owaisi’s latest comments came shortly after Amit Shah spoke about the proposed NRC exercise in Manipur. Shah said the process would be carried out using 1951 as the baseline, a reference that has significance in determining historical records for citizenship-related verification. The announcement comes as political parties and authorities remain focused on preparations for the Manipur Assembly elections. The issue of citizenship, migration and demographic changes has been particularly sensitive in the northeastern state, where questions about identity and migration have played an important role in political debates. The government’s plans for the NRC in Manipur are therefore likely to remain a significant issue as the electoral process approaches.

The nationwide NRC debate has previously generated concerns about how people without easily accessible or complete documentary records would establish their citizenship. In Assam, the process involved extensive scrutiny of documents and historical records, and the experience highlighted the practical difficulties that can arise when large populations are required to provide evidence linked to previous generations. Owaisi’s remarks reflect the concern that these challenges could be multiplied if similar requirements were applied nationally. His reference to minorities, SCs, STs and migrants places particular emphasis on groups he believes could be disproportionately affected by documentation-related difficulties during a nationwide exercise.

Owaisi’s statement adds to the wider political debate over citizenship verification in India, particularly as the government discusses the NRC in Manipur. While the AIMIM chief has strongly criticised the prospect of a nationwide exercise, the government’s position remains focused on identifying citizens through the prescribed process. The experience of Assam continues to serve as a central reference point in arguments both for and against an NRC. With Manipur set to use 1951 as its baseline according to Shah’s announcement, the issue is likely to remain politically significant, with questions over documentation, citizenship verification and the potential impact on different communities continuing to shape the discussion.

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