Dhaka, Sept. 6 -- Early this year, ahead of the general elections, India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's head Amit Shah declared his government was determined to expel a total of some 4 million Bangladeshis from Assam. He called them termites, who were eating the grain that should go to the poor and taking their jobs. Once BJP returns to power, he pledged, all of them will be expelled.

"BJP sarkaar ek ek ghuspaithiye ko chun chun kar matdata suchi se hatane ka kaam karegi." He declared to thousands of cheering BJP supporters.

Clearly, with the publication of the so-called National Registry of Citizens, the BJP government in Delhi has moved closer to fulfilling its promise. The registry has left out a total of 1.9 million people - purp...