Around 13 million people living in northeastern India’s largest state have been left off a controversial draft list of citizens released yesterday by authorities , who are under pressure to identify and expel illegal immigrants.
Assam has long struggled to curb immigration from neighboring Bangladesh and is the only Indian state to compile a register of citizens.
The latest draft list includes only 19 million of the state’s more than 32 million residents. It was prepared on the orders of the Supreme Court, which is hearing a series of claims to Indian citizenship from undocumented residents of the state.
But there are also concerns the Assam state government, which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, could use the issue to target the state’s Muslim minority.
Political leaders have vowed to deport anyone staying in the state illegally, although it is far from clear that Bangladesh would accept them.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal sought on Sunday to reassure anyone left off the draft list , saying every “bona fide Indian citizen” would eventually be included.
The BJP won elections in the state in 2016 after promising to root out illegal immigrants from mainly Muslim Bangladesh and protect the rights of indigenous groups.
Anyone living in Assam must now prove that their forebears appeared either in the state’s only previous register of citizens, compiled in 1951, or on any electoral roll published before March 1971 to be eligible for citizenship.
With millions anxious about their fate, the government boosted security across the state before releasing the list.
(Agencies)
LAGOS, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's Super Eagles head coach Sunday Oliseh said the constant change of players in the last one year had made it difficult for the country to have a formidable squad.
Oliseh made the remark during the team's interactive session with reporters in Abuja , Nigeria's capital city on Thursday.
He assured that a formidable team would be in place with time as the technical crew had decided to give their best to ensure that Nigeria qualified for the Africa soccer tournament in 2017.
The coach said he would take full responsibility should the team fail to qualify for the 2017 Africa Nations Cup (AFCON) scheduled to take place in Gabon.
He said that it was usual for the head coach and his assistant to bear every consequence having produced the team list.
Oliseh said no player would be given preferential treatment as long as he was in charge, adding that foreign and home-based players were Nigerians.
He said what would guarantee a player's position in the team was performance.
The former Juventus FC of Italy player pleaded with Nigerians to give him and his coaching crew enough time to build a formidable team for the country, saying that they took over from ground zero.
Michel Platini called FIFA's eight year ban a "kick in the teeth" but vowed in an interview with AFP on Tuesday to fight on for the presidency of world soccer's governing body.
The FIFA vice president and UEFA leader condemned the ethics committee that banned him on Monday but said he would "fight to clear my name."
Platini's ban from all soccer activities prevents him from standing in the February 26 election to find a replacement for FIFA president Sepp Blatter and working as UEFA president.
Blatter and Platini were suspended for eight years over a 2 million Swiss franc ($2 million) payment made to Platini in 2011 for work carried out between 1999 and 2002.
Platini is determined to plough on in his quest to become the most powerful man in soccer.
"I will fight. But then I'll take my responsibilities according to what happens," he told AFP.
Platini insisted there was nothing illegal in the oral contract he said was agreed with Blatter. The salary agreement was however never disclosed in FIFA documentation until the payment was made in 2011.
"I'm struggling to understand. Why? How did we get to this? I did some work, I asked to be paid , I sent an invoice, I was paid, I paid my taxes on that. That was in 2011," he said.
"There was a debt that was settled, full stop! Then , in 2015, the Swiss court wanted more information.
"Then it took off at FIFA and a lot of people at FIFA are happy that this issue happened.
"And here I am, suspended from all football-related activity for eight years."
Platini repeated his suspicions that the timing of the ban was a deliberate attempt to prevent him from standing in February's election.
"What was the FIFA ethics committee doing between 2011 when I was paid and 2015? Was it sleeping? Suddenly it wakes up," he scoffed. "Ah yes, it wakes up in a FIFA election year when I'm a candidate. It's amazing!"
Platini insists he should not be bunged into the same bracket as Blatter , who has long been suspected of corrupt practices.
"I'm fighting against this injustice, from one court to another," said Platini, referring to the various avenues of appeal he can take within FIFA, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and even in the Swiss civil court.
"But there you go , in the meantime, my name has been dragged through the mud in the press.
"Whatever happens, my reputation has been sullied, I've been kicked in the teeth: I've been put in the same bag as Blatter."
Platini was an ally of the 79-year-old Blatter who turned against him as the FIFA leader refused to give up office.
NEW YORK, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks posted solid gains Friday , as further recovery in oil prices boosted investor sentiment.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 210.83 points, or 1.33 percent, to 16,093.51. The S&P 500 jumped 37.91 points, or 2.03 percent , to 1,906.90. The Nasdaq Composite Index surged 119.12 points, or 2.66 percent, to 4,59.
Assam has long struggled to curb immigration from neighboring Bangladesh and is the only Indian state to compile a register of citizens.
The latest draft list includes only 19 million of the state’s more than 32 million residents. It was prepared on the orders of the Supreme Court, which is hearing a series of claims to Indian citizenship from undocumented residents of the state.
But there are also concerns the Assam state government, which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, could use the issue to target the state’s Muslim minority.
Political leaders have vowed to deport anyone staying in the state illegally, although it is far from clear that Bangladesh would accept them.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal sought on Sunday to reassure anyone left off the draft list , saying every “bona fide Indian citizen” would eventually be included.
The BJP won elections in the state in 2016 after promising to root out illegal immigrants from mainly Muslim Bangladesh and protect the rights of indigenous groups.
Anyone living in Assam must now prove that their forebears appeared either in the state’s only previous register of citizens, compiled in 1951, or on any electoral roll published before March 1971 to be eligible for citizenship.
With millions anxious about their fate, the government boosted security across the state before releasing the list.
(Agencies)
LAGOS, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's Super Eagles head coach Sunday Oliseh said the constant change of players in the last one year had made it difficult for the country to have a formidable squad.
Oliseh made the remark during the team's interactive session with reporters in Abuja , Nigeria's capital city on Thursday.
He assured that a formidable team would be in place with time as the technical crew had decided to give their best to ensure that Nigeria qualified for the Africa soccer tournament in 2017.
The coach said he would take full responsibility should the team fail to qualify for the 2017 Africa Nations Cup (AFCON) scheduled to take place in Gabon.
He said that it was usual for the head coach and his assistant to bear every consequence having produced the team list.
Oliseh said no player would be given preferential treatment as long as he was in charge, adding that foreign and home-based players were Nigerians.
He said what would guarantee a player's position in the team was performance.
The former Juventus FC of Italy player pleaded with Nigerians to give him and his coaching crew enough time to build a formidable team for the country, saying that they took over from ground zero.
Michel Platini called FIFA's eight year ban a "kick in the teeth" but vowed in an interview with AFP on Tuesday to fight on for the presidency of world soccer's governing body.
The FIFA vice president and UEFA leader condemned the ethics committee that banned him on Monday but said he would "fight to clear my name."
Platini's ban from all soccer activities prevents him from standing in the February 26 election to find a replacement for FIFA president Sepp Blatter and working as UEFA president.
Blatter and Platini were suspended for eight years over a 2 million Swiss franc ($2 million) payment made to Platini in 2011 for work carried out between 1999 and 2002.
Platini is determined to plough on in his quest to become the most powerful man in soccer.
"I will fight. But then I'll take my responsibilities according to what happens," he told AFP.
Platini insisted there was nothing illegal in the oral contract he said was agreed with Blatter. The salary agreement was however never disclosed in FIFA documentation until the payment was made in 2011.
"I'm struggling to understand. Why? How did we get to this? I did some work, I asked to be paid , I sent an invoice, I was paid, I paid my taxes on that. That was in 2011," he said.
"There was a debt that was settled, full stop! Then , in 2015, the Swiss court wanted more information.
"Then it took off at FIFA and a lot of people at FIFA are happy that this issue happened.
"And here I am, suspended from all football-related activity for eight years."
Platini repeated his suspicions that the timing of the ban was a deliberate attempt to prevent him from standing in February's election.
"What was the FIFA ethics committee doing between 2011 when I was paid and 2015? Was it sleeping? Suddenly it wakes up," he scoffed. "Ah yes, it wakes up in a FIFA election year when I'm a candidate. It's amazing!"
Platini insists he should not be bunged into the same bracket as Blatter , who has long been suspected of corrupt practices.
"I'm fighting against this injustice, from one court to another," said Platini, referring to the various avenues of appeal he can take within FIFA, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and even in the Swiss civil court.
"But there you go , in the meantime, my name has been dragged through the mud in the press.
"Whatever happens, my reputation has been sullied, I've been kicked in the teeth: I've been put in the same bag as Blatter."
Platini was an ally of the 79-year-old Blatter who turned against him as the FIFA leader refused to give up office.
NEW YORK, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks posted solid gains Friday , as further recovery in oil prices boosted investor sentiment.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 210.83 points, or 1.33 percent, to 16,093.51. The S&P 500 jumped 37.91 points, or 2.03 percent , to 1,906.90. The Nasdaq Composite Index surged 119.12 points, or 2.66 percent, to 4,59.