In science, an anomaly in an experiment does not amount to abandoning a certain theory or method involved in the experiment. Experiments are run again, and corrective measures are taken to prevent or minimise anomalies. When it comes to the NRC and CAA, is the Indian State thinking the way a scientist would treat their experiments?
How does the Indian State think and reason when it encounters a crisis? Is it possible to understand its process of thinking and reasoning through the actions of its institutions?
This article is an attempt to understand these processes by examining the State’s approach to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019 which have, together, brought about a about a crisis of Indian democracy, and more particularly, of the citizen.
Ranjan Gogoi, former Chief Justice of India, dubbed the NRC as a futuristic document, a referent. Seemingly, the Indian State now seems to share a deep desire to implement a nationwide NRC, and redo it in Assam, even though recent statements made by top leaders — including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah — have sought to reverse such an understanding. The National Population Register (NPR) is widely understood to be the first step towards a nationwide NRC.
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