UN Committee alarmed over discrimination of Muslims in Assam
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD) has expressed concerns over discrimination of Bengali speaking Muslims in Assam
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Geneva: The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD) has expressed concerns over discrimination of Bengali speaking Muslims in Assam.
In a letter dated January 19, 2026, the Committee said it regretted the lack of information provided by India in response to an earlier communication sent in May 2025.
The letter has been handed over to India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.
The committee in its letter further said that it sought clarification on allegations linked to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), forced evictions, hate speech, and the use of force by law-enforcement agencies in the state.
The NRC is a comprehensive government record designed to identify and document all legal Indian citizens while distinguishing them from unauthorised residents.
The data from the final Assam NRC list, published on August 31, 2019, revealed that out of a total of 3.29 crore applicants who submitted over 6 crore supporting documents, approximately 3.11 crore people were found eligible for inclusion.
These excluded individuals are currently required to prove their citizenship before Foreigners Tribunals, where they must contest their exclusion within 120 days of receiving a formal rejection slip.
The UN Committee in its letter to the India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva also expressed concern over the suspension of Foreigners’ Tribunal proceedings during the NRC process, which allegedly prevented individuals marked as doubtful voters from contesting their status.
The Committee further cited allegations of systematic forced evictions of Bengali-speaking Muslim families without adequate rehabilitation, a rise in hate speech during the 2024 elections, and claims of violent attacks and excessive use of force by authorities.
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