With Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami stating that the process of the National Population Register (NPR) will begin in Tamil Nadu in April 2020, the State Platform for Common School System (SPCSS-TN) has urged him to put it on hold and instead, to begin consultations with the people.
In a memorandum addressed to the CM, the SPCSS-TN general secretary P. B. Prince Gajendra Babu on Monday stressed that the legitimate voice of the people needs to be heard and addressed in a more convincing manner.
“When People have doubts and express their fear over a programme, suppression of voices and use of force to carry out the programme is not an answer, instead, democratic process must be set in motion. A transparent public hearing, receiving representations, consultation with legal experts, discussion and deliberation on implications of the exercise to be undertaken are all part of democratic process. We earnestly request the Government of Tamil Nadu to initiate such consultative process,” the memorandum said.
Till such consultations are held, the government must stop the NPR process in Tamil Nadu and the State could urge the Centre to withdraw NPR, the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens, the forum said.
The memorandum pointed out that there is no provision in the law for an NPR, which will eventually be the basis for NRC, as it is being executed through the rules framed by the executive. The Census has constitutional sanctity and protection of privacy under the Census Act, 1948, which was not the case with the NPR. Even for delivery of welfare schemes the Aadhaar was sufficient and there was no need for the NPR, the SPCCS-TN said.
