NRC

NRC

Subject: Polity

Context: Rongali Bihu festivities will be kept in mind while deciding the schedule for the Assam Assembly elections, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said, while clarifying that exclusion from the NRC doesn’t render one ineligible to vote.

Concept:

• The National Register of Citizens, published in August 2019, excluded around 19 lakh people.
• People would be allowed to vote, as per 2019 directive by the Home Ministry which said that the non-exclusion of a person from the list does not amount to them being declared a foreigner.
• CEC clarified that such persons remain on the voter list and shall be eligible to vote unless a decision is taken by the concerned tribunal.

About NRC

• The NRC is the list of Indian citizens and was prepared in 1951, following the census of 1951.
• The process of NRC update was taken up in Assam as per a Supreme Court order in 2013.
• In order to wean out cases of illegal migration from Bangladesh and other adjoining areas, NRC updation was carried out under The Citizenship Act, 1955, and according to rules framed in the Assam Accord.
• It set March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date for the deportation of illegal migrants.
• Since the cut-off date prescribed under articles 5 and 6 of the Constitution was July 19, 1949 – to give force to the new date, an amendment was made to the Citizenship Act, 1955, and a new section was introduced.
• It was made applicable only to Assam.

Rongali Bihu Festival

• Bihu is the main festival of Assam. It is celebrated three times a year.
• Kongali or Kati Bihu observed in October and Bhogali or Magh Bihu observed in January.
• Rongali or Bohag Bihu is observed in April.
• Rongali or Bohag Bihu is the Assamese new year and spring festival. The Rongali Bihu coincides with Sikh New Year- Baisakhi.
• The Bohag Bihu dates are April 13 to April 21. It is a harvest or sowing festival. It marks the first day of the Hindu solar calendar and is also observed in Bengal, Manipur, Mithila, Nepal, Orissa, Punjab, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Men and women in traditional Muga silk (golden silk) attires dance to the rhythm of Bihu tunes and beatings of the bihudhol (traditional drum) across the State.
• Bihu dance is Assam’s most popular folk dance.