The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is an exceptional register of citizens in the state of Assam in Northeast India. Sanctioned by the Supreme Court in 2014, the process aimed to identify "illegal immigrants" from Bangladesh who entered Assam on or after 24 March 1971. The final NRC, published on 31 August 2019, excluded a total of 1,906,657 persons, effectively calling into question their citizenship and leaving them in a state of limbo.
According to Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) Assam, a human-rights organisation in India, 57 cases of suicide relating to NRC were reported in various police stations across the state even before the final NRC was published, pointing to the incredible anxiety and anguish the process has caused. Meanwhile, this Supreme Court mandated process has harvested and legitimised feelings of hate and xenophobia, refuelling the anti-migrant and anti-foreigner narrative that culminated in the Assam Movement a few decades ago.
The effects of the NRC are also being felt in the neighbouring and contiguous states. As soon as the second draft of the NRC was published on 30 July 2018, the areas bordering Assam and its contiguous states were on high alert, fearing that people left out of the NRC might cross over. On 1 August 2018, the Khasi Students' Union in Meghalaya decided to erect 'infiltrator gates' at several points of entry from Assam into Meghalaya, in the districts of East Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi. After two days they called off this action, which had been allowed to proceed unchecked by the authorities. The anti-infiltration unit of the Meghalaya police then began to carry out 'routine checks' on people to ascertain whether they had the necessary documentation that proved their right to reside in or visit the territory.
The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) also launched a similar campaign called 'Operation Clean Drive' to identify and deport "illegals". The then convener of the AAPSU, Tatung Taga, in an order issued to the District Students' Union on 2 August 2019, highlighted the need to launch a joint effort to weed out "illegal immigrants" in the state. Following this, a 15-day window – from 2 August to 16 August – was provided for "illegal people to leave the state." Operation Clean Drive would come into effect immediately thereafter. As part of this process, the union stressed the need to carry out strict checking of the Inner Line Permit (a special travel document issued by the government of India to control entry into certain regions of the country) and directed the District Students' Union to comply and "launch" the order.