ASSAM

Widespread suspicion about who is and isn't a citizen, heightened by the exclusion of over 19 lakh people from the National Register of Citizens 2019, is fueling a humanitarian crisis in Assam.

असम: भिखारी और मानसिक तौर पर अपंग को CJP ने भारतीय नागरिक साबित कराया

नागरिकता संकट के बीच सुकूर ने फ़ॉरेनर्स ट्रिब्यूनल (Foreigners’ Tribunal) के सामने अपनी नागरिकता साबित कर ली है. उनकी कहानी  ऐसे लोगों के लिए तसल्लीबख़्श है जो अभी  संदिग्ध विदेशी (Suspected foreigner) या विदेशी का नोटिस मिलने के बाद संघर्षों से दो-चार हो रहे हैं. सुकूर का जन्म और परवरिश हिंदुस्तान में हुई है. वो…Read More

Read More |

Even beggars and differently abled are not spared by Assam FTs!

Sukur and his story is the most fitting representation of those Indians who are oppressed by state functionaries. Sukur, born and brought up in India, was the only son of Abdul Jalil @ Abdul Jalil Sheikh and Majiran Nessa @ Majiran Bewa. He was born in the village of Kawadi No. 2 (Sonaikhola) under the…Read More

Read More |

Stories from Assam

In Assam, being declared a foreigner or excluded from the list of citizens arbitrarily, has meant a civil death for 2.2 million people, with repercussions often engulfing entire families. Since 2017, CJP’s Assam Team has worked in faraway villages and districts to provide real paralegal and legal aid as well as psychological assistance. To feel the depth of the despair and plight of these millions of fellow Indians, we need to have a face, a name, a sketch that tells each individual's unique story. Travel with us in this journey through the pictorial and textual sketches of these people who live under constant threat and trepidation, clutching their documents even as nature’s floods often sweep them away.

Citizenship in Assam:
A game of chance, of snakes and ladders


Click to know more

NRC

National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a list containing names of Indian citizens of Assam. The NRC was first prepared in 1951, after the Census of 1951. The NRC update of 2014-2016 across Assam includes the names of those persons (or their descendants) who appear in the NRC 1951, or in any of the Electoral Rolls up to the midnight of 24 March 1971 or in any one of the other admissible documents issued up to the midnight of 24 March 1971, which would prove their presence in Assam on or before 24 March 1971.

The NRC (1951) and the Electoral Rolls up to the midnight of 24 March 1971 together are collectively called Legacy data. It is being done with the compliance with section 3 and 6A of Citizenship Act of 1955; the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003 (amended in year 2009); Modalities and Standard Operating Procedure and Judgement Order of Supreme Court. Entire process is being monitored by Supreme Court.

Supreme Court in its order dated 25/10/2013 held the presence of D-Voters in the state doubtful and mentioned that these voters could be included only if the NRC is updated or the Foreigner's Tribunal declare them to be Indian Citizens.



Citizenship in Assam

Click on card to know more

CJP Reaches Out

CJP reaches out to the people of Assam who are negotiating a labyrinth of citizenship related issues. After the publication of the NRC over 500 CJP volunteers spread over 19 districts are going from village to village conducting workshops to spread awareness about how to go about defending their citizenship in Foreigners' Tribunals. CJP is also training paralegals to help people during these hearings before Foreigners' Tribunals.

Select District to Know Latest Updates

Assam Map

Select District :

CJP Impact: Assamese grandparents rejoice as they’re citizenship reinstated with CJP’s help

An elderly couple, Sader Ali and Molina Bibi, were saved from being rendered stateless with CJP’s timely intervention. A 20 year old notice (originally dated year 2000) from the Foreigner Tribunal was served in 2022, successfully contested and victory was sweet when the couple was declared Indian on March 19, 2024 How is it possible…

Read More |

DIVE IN

Frequently asked Questions: Understanding the Citizenship Crisis in Assam

1. How many detention camps are there in different districts of Assam now? (Names and districts)  There are Seven Detention Camps in Assam. Six of these are Designated Detention Camps and one is permanent Detention camps in Assam: S/N Detention centre District Detainees Remarks 1 Goalpara Goalpara NIL Designated 2 Kokrajhar Kokrajhar NIL Designated 3 Tezpur Tezpur…

Women at the forefront of CJP’s work in Assam

On International Women’s Day, we at CJP give thanks to our women team members working for the rights of all in Assam, challenging institutional and societal norms, using every resource at their disposal to fight against the pervasive patriarchy and oppression. Saluts! Read our profile story on the women team members of CJP from Purvanchal,…

How CJP’s legal & paralegal teams ensure wins, case after case in Assam: 2023

A total of 18 success stories in 2023 alone, with all being declared Indian by Assam’s Foreigners Tribunal through the year. But what does it take, for a paralegal and legal team to achieve this? CJP’s Team Assam, as this detailed document reveals shows grit and dedication in collating and submitting authentic documents, presenting cogent…

Read On

Detention Camps

Detention Camps are places where the Assamese who are Declared Foreigners are kept till they are deported. Currently 951 DFs are lodged in 6 detention centers operating out of makeshift facilities in local jails in Goalpara, Kokrajhar, Dhibrugarh, Tezpur, Silchar and Jorhat. These detainees do not possess the same rights as the convicted/charged inmates and aren’t allowed to parole, family visits, and working for a wage. Meanwhile, the government has sanctioned over Rs 40 crores to set up a Detention Camp at Dhakurbhita in Goalpara.

Assam Detention Camps: SC orders swift reunion of detainees with families

In welcome news for families of 47 inmates of Detention Camps in Assam, the Supreme Court has ordered that they be reunited with their families within 7 days. The court has also ordered that the state government stick to deadlines with respect to the completion of the construction of a stand alone Detention Camp in…Read More

Read More |

DIVE IN

CJP’s Unwavering Journey in Assam 2023: Navigating the Citizenship Crisis

Join us on a powerful journey through Assam in 2023! Despite facing floods, broken roads, and the ongoing citizenship crisis, the CJP team remained steadfast in their mission to stand beside Assam’s most marginalised communities. Witness the challenges, triumphs, and the untold stories of resilience in the face of adversity. Watch now to gain insights…

असम: “रूटीन जांच” के बाद 14 लोगों को डिटेंशन कैंप भेजा गया

31 अक्टूबर 2023 को असम के बक्सा जिले के 14 लोगों को विदेशियों के लिए बने हिरासत शिविर में भेज दिया गया है। इन 14 लोगों को मटिया डिटेंशन कैंप, जिसे हाल में “शरणार्थी शिविर” का नाम दिया गया है,  में भेज दिया गया। यह औचक कार्रवाई तब की गई जब फॉरेनर्स ट्रिब्यूनल (एफटी)1  ने…

Assam Detention Camps: SC orders swift reunion of detainees with families

In welcome news for families of 47 inmates of Detention Camps in Assam, the Supreme Court has ordered that they be reunited with their families within 7 days. The court has also ordered that the state government stick to deadlines with respect to the completion of the construction of a stand alone Detention Camp in…

Read On

NRC

National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a list containing names of Indian citizens of Assam. The NRC was first prepared in 1951, after the Census of 1951 to maintain a record of citizens. The Assam Agitation held between 1979- 1985 demanded the expulsion of 'foreigners' from Assam. This led to the updating of the NRC. 3.2 crore people submitted over 68 lakh documents and just over 19 lakh people were left out of the final NRC published on August 31, 2019.

Keep a track of the NRC numbers

33027661
+ Number of Applicants
31121004
+ In the NRC
1906657
+ Citizenship in question

EXCLUSIVE: India’s former President’s kin left out of NRC in Assam

Members of India’s fifth President FA Ahmed have been left out of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Now questions are being raised about the insensate practices followed by the NRC authorities during the update process that failed to consider natural calamities like floods that affect Legacy...Read More

Read More |

DIVE IN

CJP Impact: Assamese grandparents rejoice as they’re citizenship reinstated with CJP’s help

An elderly couple, Sader Ali and Molina Bibi, were saved from being rendered stateless with CJP’s timely intervention. A 20 year old notice (originally dated year 2000) from the Foreigner Tribunal was served in 2022, successfully contested and victory was sweet when the couple was declared Indian on March 19, 2024 How is it possible…

Frequently asked Questions: Understanding the Citizenship Crisis in Assam

1. How many detention camps are there in different districts of Assam now? (Names and districts)  There are Seven Detention Camps in Assam. Six of these are Designated Detention Camps and one is permanent Detention camps in Assam: S/N Detention centre District Detainees Remarks 1 Goalpara Goalpara NIL Designated 2 Kokrajhar Kokrajhar NIL Designated 3 Tezpur Tezpur…

The women of CJP: Resilient and resolute in their mission to advocate for the rights of all and counter prejudice

The team of Citizens for Justice and Peace, a human rights organisation working on issues of constitutional rights – citizenship, hate speech, free speech, right to education for all, minority rights for all – in the Courts and beyond, has diverse representatives committed to the rights of all who value the rights enshrined in the…

Read On

Foreigner Tribunals

Foreigners Tribunals are the quasi- judicial bodies responsible for hearing cases with respect to foreigners/non-citizens/D-voters under the Foreigners Act, 1946. There are three ways in which people end up before a Foreigners' Tribunal; the Election Commission marks them Doubtful Voter (D-Voter), the Border Police designates them Suspected Foreigner and refers them to a Foreigners' Tribunal, and now after being excluded from the NRC people are required to defend their Indian citizenship before a Foreigners' Tribunal.

Assam man forced to prove Indian citizenship four times!

Even as Assam gets ready for a draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) that will be released on July 30, 2018, many people, whose cases are still pending before Foreigners’ Tribunals or the Gauhati High Court, will have to wait to have their names cleared before they can be added in the NRC. But as we discovered....Read More

Read More |

DIVE IN

CJP Impact: Assamese grandparents rejoice as they’re citizenship reinstated with CJP’s help

An elderly couple, Sader Ali and Molina Bibi, were saved from being rendered stateless with CJP’s timely intervention. A 20 year old notice (originally dated year 2000) from the Foreigner Tribunal was served in 2022, successfully contested and victory was sweet when the couple was declared Indian on March 19, 2024 How is it possible…

How CJP’s legal & paralegal teams ensure wins, case after case in Assam: 2023

A total of 18 success stories in 2023 alone, with all being declared Indian by Assam’s Foreigners Tribunal through the year. But what does it take, for a paralegal and legal team to achieve this? CJP’s Team Assam, as this detailed document reveals shows grit and dedication in collating and submitting authentic documents, presenting cogent…

Assam: CJP brings relief to a family’s struggle for their lost identity

In the quiet village of Milan Nagar Santipur, Assam, a family’s long-standing struggle for recognition as Indian citizens reached a final outcome in December 2023. The late Jahanuddin Sheikh, his widow Ramila Begum, and their two sons, Ashad Ali and Rofikul Islam, were finally declared Indian by Assam’s Goalpara Foreigners Tribunal with the unwavering efforts…

Read On

CJP's Toll Free Number

Until recently, CJP operated a toll free number in four different languages; Assamese, Bengali, English and Hindi, to counsel people across Assam. We received over 12000 calls from distressed people. After publication of the final NRC, the number has been discontinued.

1800 1020 138

Archive: District-wise Exclusion Data

CJP had accessed exclusive district-wise data of people left out of final draft NRC published on July 30, 2018

Declared Foreigner

A Declared Foreigner is a person who has failed to prove his citizenship before a Foreigners’ Tribunal. Names of suspected foreigners and D Voters are referred to FTs who then conduct a trial where the proceedee is required to not only produce documents to prove their citizenship, but also prove the authenticity of the documents. If they fail, the FT designates them Declared Foreigner (DF).

I’m not a smart man, but I know what prison is: Anjaan Musafir

In this edition of our series on how the idea of Indian citizenship is being made and unmade in Assam as the National Register of Citizens is being updated, we bring you the story of Anjaan Musafir*. He is a man who could be India’s answer to DB Cooper, given how he has successfully evaded authorities by...Read More

Read More |

DIVE IN

CJP Impact: Assamese grandparents rejoice as they’re citizenship reinstated with CJP’s help

An elderly couple, Sader Ali and Molina Bibi, were saved from being rendered stateless with CJP’s timely intervention. A 20 year old notice (originally dated year 2000) from the Foreigner Tribunal was served in 2022, successfully contested and victory was sweet when the couple was declared Indian on March 19, 2024 How is it possible…

How CJP’s legal & paralegal teams ensure wins, case after case in Assam: 2023

A total of 18 success stories in 2023 alone, with all being declared Indian by Assam’s Foreigners Tribunal through the year. But what does it take, for a paralegal and legal team to achieve this? CJP’s Team Assam, as this detailed document reveals shows grit and dedication in collating and submitting authentic documents, presenting cogent…

Team CJP meets 78-year-old who is battling in courts to regain his citizenship

In the village of Sonakhuli in Assam’s Bongaigaon, a 78-year-old man named Shayar Uddin Sk sat on a chair near a crackling fireplace, his tired and weathered face seemed to tell a story of resilience and hardship. CJP’s team recently visited Shayar, who has recently become a victim of Assam’s vicious citizenship crisis. The team…

Read On

History

The genesis of the NRC is linked to the movement against ‘illegal immigrants’ , ostensibly from Bangladesh. This movement has in turn sparked off violence against these ‘illegal immigrants’. But what is the history of borders between Assam and Bangladesh ? What is the source of this disconent? Watch our maps to see how ‘Assam’ changed over the years.

Assam in Historical Maps

Assam was ruled by various dynasties during the medieval period - the Pala, Koch, Kachari, and Chutiya. The Ahom kingdom established in the 13th century at the upper Assam plain gradually took control over the entire region. Although there was continuous warfare, the kingdom ruled for over 600 years until the 19th century.

The present day Bangladesh and Assam were part of the British India till 1947. Until the idea of border came in, people have moved across this region freely. The British promoted the migration from the Bengal region to Assam for labour in the tea gardens and later for cultivation in the Brahmaputra valley.

  • Bengal Presidency (1826):Assam was included as a part of the Bengal Presidency

  • Chief Commissioner's Province (1874): Assam was separated from Bengal Presidency to for a new province. The Sylhet region of East Bengal is added to the Assam region.

  • Chief Commissioner's Province (1905): Bengal was partitioned and the East Bengal region was added to the existing Chief Commissioner's Province.

  • Chief Commissioner's Province (1911): Facing the backlash, the British revoke the the Bengal partition. Sylhet remains with Assam

  • Assam (1947): Assam post Independence. Sylhet joins Bangladesh. Present day Arunachal Pradesh is added to Assam in 1937

D Voter

D voters are people whose position as voters is doubtful owing to lack of their ability to produce proper citizenship credentials. The Election Commission started classifying citizens as D voter in 1997. The Border Police would refer suspected foreigners to Foreigners’ Tribunals following which there would be a trial where they would be required to prove that they are genuine citizens. So far 2,44,144 people had been marked as D Voters till December 31, 2017. 1,31,034 cases had been disposed off and 1,13,110 cases were still pending.

ASSAM ARCHIVE ON CITIZENSHIP

भला एक 8 साल का बच्चा ‘संदिग्ध वोटर’ कैसे हो सकता है ?

Tमोनुवर हुसैन, एक 8 साल का मेधावी छात्र है जो अभी दूसरी कक्षा में है और पढ़ना-लिखना, गिनती करना, यहाँ तक की सरल जोड़ना घटाना भी जानता है. मगर ऐसा प्रतीत हो रहा है कि असम का राज्य तंत्र मोनुवर को ‘विभाजन’ सिखाने में तुला हुआ है. जुलाई 2018 में मोनुवर का नाम डी-वोटर यानी ‘संदिग्ध वोटरों’ की सूची में पाया गया! जबकि अगले दस साल तक...Read More

Read More |

DIVE IN

CJP’s Unwavering Journey in Assam 2023: Navigating the Citizenship Crisis

Join us on a powerful journey through Assam in 2023! Despite facing floods, broken roads, and the ongoing citizenship crisis, the CJP team remained steadfast in their mission to stand beside Assam’s most marginalised communities. Witness the challenges, triumphs, and the untold stories of resilience in the face of adversity. Watch now to gain insights…

असम में तमाम चुनौतियों के बीच, नागरिकों को CJP से उम्मीद

असम में CJP नागरिकता के हक़ के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है, हालांकि असम के नागरिकता संकट के बीच हाशिए पर रह रहे तबक़े की मुश्किलें काफ़ी बढ़ गई हैं. इसी कड़ी में असम में चुनाव आयोग ने एक नई वोटर लिस्ट जारी की है जिससे कि अनेक लोग नाइंसाफ़ी का शिकार हो गए हैं. CJP की…

Empowering Women in Assam: CJP Champions Against Unjust ‘Foreigner’ Labels

Did you know that thousands of women in Assam are receiving ‘declared foreigner’ notices, often arbitrarily and disproportionately? These marginalized women live in constant fear, enduring a harrowing ordeal to prove their Indian citizenship, despite being born and raised here. Watch this video to see how CJP’s committed team is tirelessly fighting on their behalf…

Read On

Judiciary on Assam

The Supreme Court is monitoring the NRC update process through the Registrar General of India. Over a period of time, the SC and Gauhati High Court have issued many orders on the NRC and citizenship issues. We present here a primer on how the judiciary has looked at the issue of citizenship and NRCs

DIVE IN

Foreigners’ Tribunal arbitrary orders: Should the State Government intervene?

On November 21, 2023, a division bench of the Gauhati High Court, who was hearing a petition filed by a man named Forhad Ali against the opinion of the Foreigner’s Tribunal declaring him a foreigner, delivered a very crucial judgment. The bench comprising Justices Achintya Malla Bujor Barua and Mitali Thakuria not only addressed Ali’s…

Unwavering and relentless: CJP’s Assam Team in 2022

Every year, CJP brings to you an account of all the ways in which our team in Assam reached out to those in need of legal and para legal assistance. Every year there are different stories to be told, deepening the narrative with its complex contours, it is that the hapless and those trying to…

Res Judicata principle applicable to FT decisions: Gauhati HC

In a landmark judgment, the Gauhati High Court has ruled that the principle of Res Judicata applies to orders passed by Foreigners’ Tribunals (FT). Simply put, this means that if an FT finds a person to be an Indian citizen, the same person cannot be tried again or be declared foreigner. Readers would recall that…

Read On

Documents & Judgments

Browse through all NRC related documents here