Buzz in Ambur to get citizenship papers fizzles out post anti-CAA protests

But the residents heaved a sigh of relief when agitations exploded all over the country over the Union government’s proposed move to implement the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and theNPR (National Population Register), the sources added.

The muthuvallis of the nearly 40 mosques in and around Ambur used youngsters as volunteers to collect details of individual family members when the Union government mooted expanding the NRC (National Register of Citizens) originally meant for Assam state to the rest of the country.

Sources revealed that youth were asked to collect details and submit them to the mosques which planned to have ready all available records in case there were problems regarding citizenship for their community members.

Sources revealed that details collected included birth and death certificates andAadhaar cards copies. Residents were also told to ensure that they had all available personal information ready in case the NRC was expanded to Tamil Nadu.

A few youth volunteers who spoke to DT Next on condition of anonymity said, “initially there was some fear among Muslim citizens and hence many willingly provided the details we asked for. However, they were also to ensure that they have relevant death certificates for their dead relatives.”

Elaborating, they said, “Many who were abroad sought help from relatives and friends to check birth certificates in the town. Many locals made a beeline to the local body office to get birth certificates if they had neglected to collect them earlier.” Many said some families faced issues over lack of death certificates for their dead relatives and were now making efforts to secure them.

But the buzz around the process turned cold when agitations were started against NPR and CAA. “We are waiting to see how the Centre will react and what they propose to do about the NRC which is now on the back burner,” a volunteer added.