When I visit the state, I meet both Muslims and Hindus who for unclear reasons are not included in the register. There are also no figures that there would be more Muslims than Hindus.

By contrast, a new law is likely to have bitter consequences for Muslims. According to the bill, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and other minorities in the surrounding Muslim countries will be granted Indian citizenship if they have lived in India for six years. If the law is passed, it means that Hindus who have immigrated illegally can stay, while Muslims risk being deported or camped.

The government is believed to be exploiting the situation

Several of the people I meet in Assam are careful to point out that Hindus and Muslims live in harmony, and that the purpose is not to expel Muslims but illegal immigrants. The resistance to immigrants is based on a fear among the Assamese to become a minority in their own state. That their language and culture would disappear if the immigrants from Bangladesh become more numerous.

Already in the 1980s, dissatisfaction with immigration led to violent clashes where several thousand people were killed. That's when today's thoughts on a citizen register were formed.

But according to the opposition, the Hindu nationalist government is taking advantage of the situation in Assam to get rid of Muslims. Hindu nationalism is about creating an India mainly for Hindus, and Muslims and other minority groups are increasingly exposed to violence and oppression. The opposition believes that the government is trying to introduce a citizenship based on religion, which is against the Indian constitution.