According to a report published in The Hindu, many Assamese people employed in coffee estates in several districts of Karnataka find themselves in a tight spot after the National Register of Citizens (NRC) final draft was released on July 30.
Since many of them did not own land in their home state of Assam and only found employment as farm labourers for a few months in a year, they started to migrate to Karnataka in search of work almost a decade ago. These Assamese workers spread across districts like Hassan and Chikkamagaluru and sought employment in coffee estates.
However, they now face an uncertain future and hardship, since either their own or their family members’ names have not appeared on the final NRC draft.
One worker, Harun Ali (32), who has been working in a coffee estate for nine years, told The Hindu that his wife’s and his three children’s names did not appear on the draft, but his own name did. He said, “I had submitted records along with the documents of my father Akbar Ali. My documents have been accepted. Similarly, my wife submitted her father’s documents along with her application. Her father’s name has been included in the list, but not her’s.” The family will appeal to get their names included before the September deadline.
Another worker, Zulfi Khatoon, who works in an estate in Belur, had his two children’s names excluded from the draft. She too will have to travel back to Assam to submit her claim.
These coffee estate workers are part of the 40 lakh people who were left out of the NRC draft.