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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
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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
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Citizenship in Assam:
A game of chance, of snakes and ladders
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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.
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Musa Mondal became the 107th casualty of the citizenship crisis in Assam when he allegedly hanged himself on October 12, 2020, upon being declared foreigner. Modal hailed from Kayastha Para village that falls under the jurisdiction of the Sorbhog police station in Barpeta district. In 2018, Musa, son of Voyage Mondal received a foreigner’s notice…
Even as the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is all set to be published by August 31, 2019, there are several concerns about people who have been left out of the coveted list. Now, CJP, determined to make sure that no genuine Indian citizen suffers, has moved Supreme Court asking for it to take a…
On June 26, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) authority released an additional list of over one lakh names of people excluded from the NRC. The following day CJP took a delegation of senior lawyers and journalists to Assam to assess ground realities as well as devise a strategy to help genuine Indian citizens, especially…
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“I pray that you all can help other people too.” These were the words of Alijon Bibi, spoken in the Deshi dialect, as she held the Tribunal judgment that restored her dignity and declared her an Indian citizen. Her prayer was not only for herself, but for the countless others in Assam living under the…
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Bipul Karmakar, a daily wage labourer from Patkata village, Bongaigaon district, Assam, finally won his battle to prove his Indian citizenship—an absurd predicament for someone born and raised in India. Despite possessing a Registered Sale Deed from 1952, which recorded his grandfather’s ownership of land, and a 1966 voter list that included his father’s name,…
The State of Assam has recently submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court of India in the Raju Bala Das v. Union of India case, where the apex court is examining the conditions of detainees detained often for months without due process in detention camps in Assam. This submission comes as part of compliance with…
On March 3, 2025, the Gauhati High Court’s issued stayed the deportation of Ajabha Khatun, currently lodged in the Matia detention camp of Assam after she was arrested in September 2024. Acting on a 2019 judgement of the Foreigner Tribunal that had questionably declared her a foreigner, she was among the 53 persons listed by…
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 Tweet this | Facebook The State of Assam has recently submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court of India in the Raju Bala Das v. Union of India case, where the apex court is examining the conditions of detainees detained often for months without due process in detention camps in Assam. This submission comes as part of compliance with…
On March 3, 2025, the Gauhati High Court’s issued stayed the deportation of Ajabha Khatun, currently lodged in the Matia detention camp of Assam after she was arrested in September 2024. Acting on a 2019 judgement of the Foreigner Tribunal that had questionably declared her a foreigner, she was among the 53 persons listed by…
In 2024, CJP’s committed team in Assam remained steadfast in defending marginalized communities impacted by the citizenship crisis. From assisting individuals in reclaiming their citizenship and securing releases from detention camps to protecting vital documents during devastating floods, our mission remains resolute. Watch how CJP supports those abandoned by the system, helping them reclaim their…
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
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In a major announcement ahead of the panchayat elections in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently declared that the state government would withdraw all pending cases in the Foreigners’ Tribunals against members of the Koch Rajbongshi community. Speaking at a press conference on April 4, Sarma claimed, “There are 28,000 cases pending in different…
“I pray that you all can help other people too.” These were the words of Alijon Bibi, spoken in the Deshi dialect, as she held the Tribunal judgment that restored her dignity and declared her an Indian citizen. Her prayer was not only for herself, but for the countless others in Assam living under the…
Bipul Karmakar, a daily wage labourer from Patkata village, Bongaigaon district, Assam, finally won his battle to prove his Indian citizenship—an absurd predicament for someone born and raised in India. Despite possessing a Registered Sale Deed from 1952, which recorded his grandfather’s ownership of land, and a 1966 voter list that included his father’s name,…
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 Tweet this | Facebook In a major announcement ahead of the panchayat elections in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently declared that the state government would withdraw all pending cases in the Foreigners’ Tribunals against members of the Koch Rajbongshi community. Speaking at a press conference on April 4, Sarma claimed, “There are 28,000 cases pending in different…
“I pray that you all can help other people too.” These were the words of Alijon Bibi, spoken in the Deshi dialect, as she held the Tribunal judgment that restored her dignity and declared her an Indian citizen. Her prayer was not only for herself, but for the countless others in Assam living under the…
Bipul Karmakar, a daily wage labourer from Patkata village, Bongaigaon district, Assam, finally won his battle to prove his Indian citizenship—an absurd predicament for someone born and raised in India. Despite possessing a Registered Sale Deed from 1952, which recorded his grandfather’s ownership of land, and a 1966 voter list that included his father’s name,…
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.
CJP had accessed exclusive district-wise data of people left out of final draft NRC published on July 30, 2018
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
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In a victory for justice, 73-year-old Micharan Bibi, a Bengali-speaking Muslim woman from Assam, has finally been declared an Indian citizen after enduring a harrowing year-long legal battle. Her case, emblematic of the challenges faced by countless individuals wrongly accused of being foreigners, highlights both the systemic flaws in Assam’s citizenship verification process and the…
On February 25, 2025, Khatun, assisted by the legal aid organisation Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), intervened in the ongoing case of Rajubala Das v. Union of India, seeking her impleadment as a party petitioner and additional directions regarding the constitutional and human rights violations arising from her detention. This intervention follows the February…
In 2024, CJP’s committed team in Assam remained steadfast in defending marginalized communities impacted by the citizenship crisis. From assisting individuals in reclaiming their citizenship and securing releases from detention camps to protecting vital documents during devastating floods, our mission remains resolute. Watch how CJP supports those abandoned by the system, helping them reclaim their…
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
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 Tweet this | Facebook In 2024, CJP’s committed team in Assam remained steadfast in defending marginalized communities impacted by the citizenship crisis. From assisting individuals in reclaiming their citizenship and securing releases from detention camps to protecting vital documents during devastating floods, our mission remains resolute. Watch how CJP supports those abandoned by the system, helping them reclaim their…
Women in Assam are disproportionately affected by the citizenship crisis, labeled as ‘D-voters’ and ‘doubtful foreigners,’ forced to fight for their identity. CJP’s tireless efforts have led to incredible victories for women like Jamila Khatoon, Sarathi Arjya, and Ranjina Bibi, restoring their Indian citizenship. But many more need help. Watch this powerful story and join…
On September 2, 2024, 28 Bengali Muslims were forcibly detained in Assam’s Barpeta district and labeled “declared foreigners.” Taken to the infamous Matia detention camp, their families were left behind in anguish. Related: CJP impact! Amidst rampant systemic prejudice in Assam, CJP secures justice for Ranjina Bibi and her family Supreme Court Restores Justice…
In 2024, CJP’s committed team in Assam remained steadfast in defending marginalized communities impacted by the citizenship crisis. From assisting individuals in reclaiming their citizenship and securing releases from detention camps to protecting vital documents during devastating floods, our mission remains resolute. Watch how CJP supports those abandoned by the system, helping them reclaim their…
On September 2, 2024, 28 Bengali Muslims were forcibly detained in Assam’s Barpeta district and labeled “declared foreigners.” Taken to the infamous Matia detention camp, their families were left behind in anguish. Related: CJP impact! Amidst rampant systemic prejudice in Assam, CJP secures justice for Ranjina Bibi and her family Supreme Court Restores Justice…
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…
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