Over 1,000 women from all walks of life – including activists writers, academics, farmers and anganwadi workers – wrote to the chief ministers of various Indian states on Tuesday, 17 March, seeking to de-link the National Population Register (NPR) from the Census of India 2021.
“We write to you as Indian women who are opposed to the National Population Register (NPR). Women constitute nearly 50 percent of India’s population, and this opposition is based on clear evidence from our own lives,” read the letter, which was released in Delhi Press Club.
Speaking at the press conference, Annie Raja said that:
“Women often do not have land or property in their names, have lower literacy rates, and leave their natal homes upon marriage with no documents in tow. In Assam, a vast majority of the 19 lakh, left out of the NRC, are women. That is the reality.”
While many states have passed resolutions in the Legislative Assembly opposing CAA, NRC, NPR, unless specific executive orders are issued to de-link the NPR and census which is set to be rolled out from 1 April, the resolutions will only remain a statement of expression. Each state government must issue executive orders to de-link NPR and census immediately, they said, in the letter.
“All women, irrespective of caste and religious community, will be affected by this new NPR-NRIC citizenship regime that puts our citizenship to test in a totally arbitrary and frightening manner,” said activist Farah Naqvi.
Two states – Kerala and West Bengal – have issued executive orders staying the roll out of the NPR.
On the other hand, Rajasthan and Jharkhand have given orders only for the roll out of the census.
The updation of the NPR is scheduled to begin from 1 April 2020, along with house listing for the Census of India 2021.
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