By I P Sarto

Burdwan, Feb. 22, 2020: More than 100 lay leaders from Asansol diocese in West Bengal state on February 22 decided not to show any record if asked for data collection in connection with the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The lay leader along with 25 priests and religious attended a session on present social situation in the country at Chetana (awareness) Human Resource Development Centre, the diocesan pastoral center, in Burdwan, a town some 125 km northwest of Kolkata, the state capital.

Jesuit social activist Father Irudaya Jothi explained the meaning of the new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) regulations and the purpose of NRC to the participants. The laity clarified their doubts on CAA and some shared their knowledge on NRC.

“We need to inform people clearly about this law and make them aware of it,” said Prodeep Kachhab, a retired railway employee from Asansol.

Mongal Soren, a village leader from Dessa village, about 150 km northwest of Kolkata, said they would talk to village council leaders about the act and not to allow any official to do any data collection for NRC in their villages.

Many agreed to talk to the elected village councilors to convince them about the ill effects of NRC in their villages. The village council can decide unanimously not to allow NRC in that village “as all of us are Indians,” said Louis Hansda, a catechist in Burdwan after hearing about the examples from other states.

Father Jothi through various videos facilitated the sessions to make the Church personnel aware of the present sociopolitical situation in the country. He also elaborated how the law will affect the downtrodden, backward communities and tribal people.

The participants stressed the need to interact with others to protect the human dignity and safety of all. Networking with other NGOs and religious leaders are need of the hour to ensure protection for our tribals, said Father Robert Richard D’Souza, a veteran priest of Asansol diocese who worked among the tribals for 40 years.

Earlier Asansol diocese organized sessions on CAA, NRC and NPR (National Population Register) for the Small Christian Community animators Feb 11-12. Holy Cross Sister explained how the law would affect the tribals and the need of SCCs to conscientize the neighborhood on these laws.