A United Nations anti-racism committee has intensified its scrutiny of India’s treatment of Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, citing a persistent lack of transparency from the government.
According to a report in maktoobmedia on Monday, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) expressed regret in a letter dated January 19, 2026 that New Delhi failed to provide detailed clarifications regarding a May 2025 inquiry into alleged human rights abuses.
While the Indian government defended its legal framework, specifically the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the committee argued that this response did not address core accusations of racial bias within the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process.
The UN body further highlighted a series of systemic grievances, ranging from violent forced evictions without compensation to a rise in state-sanctioned hate speech during the 2024 elections.
The committee identified critical procedural failures and legal ambiguities, such as the use of the undefined term “non-original inhabitants” and the suspension of Foreigners’ Tribunal proceedings, which effectively stripped many residents of their right to contest their exclusion.
Furthermore, the letter claimed that thousands have been forcibly displaced by “anti-encroachment” measures without being provided housing or compensation.
In its communications, the committee noted that it has received insufficient information from the Indian government regarding these specific allegations or the status of investigations into violence and human rights violations against the community.
Consequently, invoking Article 9(1) of the International Convention, the CERD has formally requested that India provide a detailed account of its efforts to address these human rights concerns in its upcoming periodic reports.
What is the NRC?
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.
This left roughly 19.06 lakh individuals excluded from the register, effectively placing their citizenship status in limbo.
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.
