Till NRC do we part: Assam family calls off daughter's wedding after groom's name missing in list

Guwahati: A family in Silchar in Assam has called off the wedding of their daughter when the groom failed to provide his citizenship credentials. [caption id=“attachment_5363391” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of an NRC centre in Assam. Reuters[/caption] Dilwar Hussain Laskar of Nayagram village near Silchar was in love with a local girl and the two families had agreed to their marriage. But trouble arose when the girl’s family wanted to know from his family on 15 August whether his name was in the citizens’ register. “We wanted to check whether the person seeking to marry the daughter of the family is a genuine Indian citizen or an illegal foreigner staying in the country as the matter would impact her future”, said a member of the girl’s family. But Dilwar’s name was not in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC). He was among the 40 lakh people whose name was omitted from the draft citizens register which was published in July last year. Dilwar’s family claimed that the names of all his family members are in the NRC and were hopeful that his name will be included in the final NRC to be published on 31 August. The girl’s family was not convinced and called off the wedding. The final NRC is set to be published on 31 August and little is known about what happens to those whose name do not figure in it. They can appeal at the foreigners tribunal, move the Gauhati High Court and the Supreme Court but what happens to them in the interim period is again unknown. According to villagers the couple has eloped and the police said the woman’s family has filed an FIR at Silchar police station alleging Dilwar has kidnapped her. Investigations are on, the police added.