The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has formally raised concerns with India regarding allegations of racial discrimination against Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam. In a letter dated May 12, 2025, addressed to India’s Ambassador to the UN Office in Geneva, the Committee stated it had received updated information under its early warning and urgent action procedure related to the situation.
According to the information received by the Committee, members of the Bengali-speaking Muslim community in Assam are subjected to racial discrimination based on their descent, ethno-religious and ethnic origin, particularly arbitrary deprivation of citizenship in relation to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update. The final NRC, published on August 31, 2019, excluded around 1.9 million inhabitants of Assam, with the majority belonging to Bengali-speaking Hindus and Bengali-speaking Muslims.
In another letter, concerns were raised regarding an order issued by India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority in June 2024, which threatens the displacement of approximately 450,000 tribal and forest-dwelling Indigenous people from 54 tiger reserves across 18 Indian states. The Committee expresses worry that this action potentially violates domestic law and international human rights standards, specifically the right to free, prior, and informed consent and the lack of adequate alternative housing and compensation.
The high number of exclusions is reportedly associated with procedural irregularities, incapacity of authorities, and challenges faced by Bengali-speaking Muslims in obtaining required documents, with a disproportionate impact on women and children.
The information indicates that in preparing for the NRC update, the State of Assam classified the population into “original inhabitants” and “non-original inhabitants,” considering members of the Bengali-speaking Muslims as “non-original inhabitants” despite the absence of a clear definition for the former. “Non-original inhabitants” were allegedly subjected to more rigorous standards during the verification process.
Further concerns highlighted include individuals categorised as “doubtful voters” by the Election Commission being unable to challenge this before the Foreigners Tribunal because the Tribunal’s processes were suspended during the NRC update, leading to their de facto exclusion. Those declared “foreigners” and excluded under the NRC process are reportedly not provided with the required “rejection slips” to appeal before the Foreigners Tribunals.
The Committee also noted that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), adopted in December 2019, allegedly discriminates against Bengali-speaking Muslims on grounds of descent, ethno-religious and ethnicity, as it expedites citizenship for specific religious minorities (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians) resident in India before 2014.
Since 2019, the government in Assam has been reported to be pursuing a policy of systematic forced evictions almost exclusively targeting Bengali-speaking Muslim families in various districts, including Hojai, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Goalpara, Kamrup Metropolitan, Marigaon, Darrang districts, and Silbhanga Kachutali villages. These evictions were reportedly accompanied by racist rhetoric, categorising those displaced as “encroachers” or “illegal settlers,” with families still left without adequate alternative housing or compensation.
Bengali-speaking Muslims are also described as constantly being the target of racist hate speech, including from politicians and influential public figures, in the media, and on the internet, particularly during the national elections of 2024. This rhetoric often results in physical violence and threats against them, and it is considered likely to rise further with local elections scheduled for Spring 2026.
The Committee’s information also includes allegations of excessive use of force by law enforcement officials against Bengali-speaking Muslims, frequently resulting in disproportionately recurrent killings and injuries with impunity. They also face arbitrary arrests by the Assam police, with a risk of forced deportation, particularly for alleged child marriages.
The Assam government has reportedly emphasised control over the population following hateful rhetoric around alleged demographic changes due to the growth of the Bengali-speaking Muslim community. The government reportedly intends to introduce new discriminatory laws and policies affecting Bengali-speaking Muslims, particularly concerning marriage and land ownership.
Recent incidents of violent attacks perpetrated by civilians and organised groups against Bengali-speaking Muslims in August and September 2024 were reported, leading to abuses and violations of their right to life and physical integrity. Furthermore, the Assam government is reportedly closing Bengali-speaking Muslim religious schools, which could significantly impact female students from the community.
The Committee expressed concern that these allegations, if verified, would infringe rights protected under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). Specifically, the Committee is concerned about the arbitrary deprivation of citizenship and discriminatory approach in the NRC process, restrictions on access to justice and effective remedies, the discriminatory approach of the CAA, excessive use of force, forced evictions, arbitrary arrests, the spread of hate speech, and legislative steps towards a more restrictive and discriminatory approach concerning rights like marriage, property ownership, and inheritance.
Recalling its relevant General Recommendations and previous concluding observations concerning India, the Committee, in accordance with Article 9 (1) of the Convention and Article 65 of its Rules of Procedure, requests the State party to provide information on the mentioned allegations and the situation of Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam State by August 1, 2025. The Committee reiterated its wish for constructive dialogue with the Government of India to ensure the effective implementation of the Convention.
