‘1971 cut-off could shift to 1979’: Upamanyu Hazarika raises concerns over Assam land amendment
Supreme Court senior advocate and Pravajan Virodhi Mancha (PVM) convenor Upamanyu Hazarika has raised concerns over the amended definition of “original inhabitant” under the Assam Land Revenue Regulation Amendment, 2026.
In a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other authorities, Hazarika argued that the provision requiring three generations of continuous residence, with each generation counted as 25 years, could have implications for Assam’s citizenship and NRC-related processes.
According to Hazarika, the provision could potentially allow families who migrated from Bangladesh in 1979 to qualify as “original inhabitants” by 2006. He therefore argued that the amendment could effectively shift the relevant cut-off from 1971 to 1979.
Hazarika also raised concerns about the implications for the NRC and alleged that people of Bangladeshi origin had previously been included in the NRC as “original inhabitants” despite inadequate documentation. These are claims made in PVM’s representation and remain part of the ongoing debate over the amendment.
The Assam Land Revenue Regulation Amendment, 2026, and its implications for land rights, citizenship-related documentation and the definition of “original inhabitant” have emerged as a subject of political and legal discussion in the state.
Assam, India | Sep 22, 2026 
