The Dimapur police has issued a notice to the Tibetans dwelling in the district to register themselves online on or before March 31 this year according to local reports. The move is being taken as an effort from the local authority to keep a check on the ‘displaced people’ such as the Tibetan refugees from taking part in the elections in the North East region.
“The Dimapur Police has informed Tibetan refugees residing under Dimapur district to register themselves online on or before March 31, 2018 without fail. A press note from the PRO Dimapur Police further notified those Tibetan refugees who are yet to register online to submit their documents for online registration to the Office of the Commissioner of Police, Dimapur.” said the report in the Morung Express on February 9.
Though Tibetans across India has been informed to register online with the Refugee/Registration Certificates online processing that aims at digital management Tibetan database by the government of India by the end of March this year, it is suggested that the online registration of Tibetans in North East India also aims at curbing ‘displaced people’ like the Tibetan refugees from taking part in their electoral process.
“The Tibetan refugees in Dimapur, for instance, were informed by the Dimapur police to register online on or before March 31st without fail. This is to ensure that they do not engage themselves in voting or electoral process. Or for that matter involve in the political process or do not complicate the demography of the states that are sensitive to refugees or illegal immigrants in north-east India.” said an article in the News18.
While Indian Citizenship Act (Amendment) of 1986 allows for the acquiring of Indian citizenship by Tibetans born in India between January 26, 1950, and July 1, 1987, there are no such applications from the Tibetans in the district, indicating that Tibetans prefer maintaining the Tibetan identity. However, in the recently concluded election in Himachal Pradesh, the police issued a notice for those Tibetans with Indian election card to surrender their refugee certificates.
Photo: Representational only from NEWS18
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