Mohamed Ameen Dabhelia – 2018/07/31

Indian authorities declared some four million residents to be foreigners, effectively stripping them of their citizenship and raising fears of deportation in the north eastern Assam state.

The residents, mostly Muslims of Bangladeshi origin, are deemed ‘stateless’ as India published its draft list of citizens deemed to have entered the country before 1971, when millions fled Bangladesh’s war of independence into the state.

Independent Researcher based in Assam, Abdul Kalam Azad told Radio Islam that the declaration is political.

“There are political motives, there’s no doubt about it.”

Azad says within the next month, the four million people will have to submit applications to avoid deportation.

“This is a huge task, in the last three years, authorities have not been able to verify millions of people, to think how they will do the very same work in a short space of time.”

Many claim the declaration is an effort by Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, to target Muslims hostile to his BJP nationalist party ahead of elections next year.

Listen To The Full Interview Below: