With one day left for publication of the final NRC, the Axom Nagarik Samaj on Thursday welcomed this important document and appealed to the people to remain calm and not be swayed by any provocation.

The organisation urged the law-enforcing authorities to maintain vigil so that no untoward incidents take place.

The civil society organisation comprises eminent people from various spheres of life like literature, education, journalism, publishing, banking and legal profession. Its members are concerned with “human rights along with dignity of existence, rule of law, peace, secularism, social integration, integrity and human values in public life”.

The organisation has been making strident calls for an error-free NRC, containing the names of all genuine Indian citizens residing in Assam, while excluding all foreigners.

Its office-bearers, including president Hare Krishna Deka, executive president Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, vice-president Prasanta Rajguru, general secretary Paresh Malakar and joint secretary Akhil Ranjan Dutta, addressed a news conference here to present their views on the final NRC and any unwanted situation that may arise after its publication on Saturday.

Deka said, “The preparation of a National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam was necessitated due to largescale influx of people from neighbouring areas. This was manifested in the six-year Assam Movement, although nobody knew the extent or number of such foreigners. A cut-off date, March 25, 1971, to determine foreigners was arrived at after signing of the Assam Accord. Since then, the NRC update process, on the basis on the 1951 NRC, has been progressing under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

“Lately, there has been an attempt to undermine the process by two groups. One group is calling it a xenophobic act which grossly violates the human rights of linguistic and religious minorities in the state. Another group wants to reject it outright on the plea that it contains the names of foreigners and is erroneous.

“The NRC should be accepted as a primary document for the Indian citizens of Assam. We cannot be sure about errors in the final NRC being published on August 31 but these have to be removed by legal procedures, if any. The right to life and liberty of the people whose names do not appear in the NRC must be protected. We also appeal to all sections of people to remain calm and not be agitated under any provocation after the publication of the final NRC. The law enforcing authorities should be vigilant,” he said.

Some speakers accused the BJP of playing religious politics through the NRC. “The BJP is against the NRC,” said Malakar.