Citizenship Crisis in Assam
For those caught in the relentless grip of the NRC process and facing the threat of losing their citizenship, the experience is nothing short of life-altering, leaving scars that linger long after the verdict. CJP has been acutely attuned to this reality since the inception of Team Assam over five years ago. Our approach extends beyond offering crucial legal aid in foreigners’ tribunals and courts. The CJP team engages in dialogue, and counseling, and delivers both para-legal and direct legal counsel to those in need. This is how we endeavor to mitigate the hardships faced by individuals caught in the upheaval of the citizenship crisis. In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India has overturned wrongful decisions by the Gauhati High Court and the Foreigner’s Tribunal, declaring Md. Rahim Ali is an Indian citizen. CJP has been tirelessly advocating for individuals like Ali who are facing the citizenship crisis in Assam. Our relentless efforts have recently led to victories for elderly couples Mazam Ali & Saleya Bibi, Sher Ali & Jamila Khatun, and migrant worker Anjuma Bibi, all of whom are now declared Indian citizens. CJP’s Team Assam steadfastly aids those in the citizenship crisis, conducting 20-40 weekly counseling sessions. Despite the dire situation and over 29 suicides since 2017, we persist. In 2023, we saved 18 from statelessness, building a strong support network with communities and advocates. In 2023, Assam’s Foreigners’ Tribunals declared 18 individuals as Indian citizens. But what’s the secret behind this success? Meet CJP’s Team Assam: their determination, authentic documentation, compelling statements, and crucial witness testimonies made it happen!  How do you get a detainee released from Assam’s infamous Detention Camps? CJP provides a step-by-step answer.
CJP Team Assam

Countless Jobs?
While addressing the nation on the occasion of Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on August 15 that doors of opportunities are wide open for the Indian youth around the world, and after eluding for so many years after independence, countless new employment opportunities are now at their doorstep.

As PM Modi asserted that there are countless employment opportunities, several reports, including the India Employment Report of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) cautions policymakers about increasing unemployment rate in the country, particularly among youth.
Earlier this week, the ILO’s Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024 report had said that youngsters across the world are unable to find secure work and their chances of finding a job decrease as the income level of the country they reside in decreases.

The opposition too has been targeting the Centre over the increase in the unemployment rate and the unavailability of statistics related to employment figures.

The National Statistical Office of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation would earlier release employment and unemployment surveys till 2011-12. But since 2017, the Periodic Labour Force Surveys (PLFS) replaced the Employment and Unemployment surveys.

The first PLFS found that the unemployment rate for educated males in rural areas, between 2004-05 and 2011-12, ranged from 3.5 and 4.4% which increased to 10.5% during 2017-18.

Similarly, for educated rural females, the unemployment rate ranged from 9.7 to 15.2% between 2004-05 and 2011-12 which increased to 17.3% in 2017-18.

For educated males living in urban areas, the unemployment rate ranged from 3.6 to 5.1% between 2004-05 and 2011-12 which increased to 9.2% during 2017-18.
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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 11, Sep 8 - 14, 2024