15, Nov 2019 | Sanchita Kadam

CJP’s campaign in Assam includes helping the excluded persons with understanding Foreigners Tribunals and in the legal process that will prove their citizenship. Another aspect of CJP’s campaign is training para-legals so that they can help the excluded persons in determining valid documents and also provide any kind of legal help that may be needed during the hearings before Foreigners Tribunals.

In November, one such para-legal training camp was organized by CJP in Dhuniabheti village in Nagaon district. This training workshop which was to be held at the Dhuniabheti High school on November 9. However, organizing this training was no easy task. The local administration was not in favour of such training. On the day of the training workshop, District administration put pressure on the school’s administration to not hold any meeting within its premises without permission. Police forces were also deployed at the school and the school administration was compelled to shut its gates on the day of the training. However, many volunteers were already present in the school for the training, while all this was happening.

Now that the final NRC has been published, and 19,06,657 people have been excluded from the final list, CJP’s campaign has become even more focused. Our objective now, is to help these excluded people defend their citizenship before Foreigners’ Tribunals. For this we have already started conducting a series of workshops to train paralegals to assist people at FTs. We will also be publishing a multi-media training manual containing simplified aspects of legal procedure, evidentiary rules, and judicial precedents that will ensure the appeals filed against the NRC exclusions in the FTs are comprehensive and sound, both in fact and in law. This will assist our paralegals, lawyers and the wider community in Assam to negotiate this tortuous process. For this we need your continued support. Please donate now to help us help Assam.

Meanwhile, Zamser Ali, Assam State co-ordinator for CJP, along with other volunteers, were searching for another place to hold the training. A farmer from Dhuniabheti village offered his home to conduct the scheduled training, which was then attended by around 40 volunteers from Morigaon, Nagaon and Hojai Districts. The training then began at 2 pm and continued for 7 hrs during which the humble villagers provided tea and snacks as well. In the training workshop, CJP’s legal team member and Advocate of Gauhati High Court Shaij Uddin Ahmed and Zamser Ali were the resource persons. District Volunteer Motivator (DVM) for Nagaon, Morigaon and Hojai districts, Faruk Ahmed, delivered his speech on purpose of the training camp.

Training in progress

Training shifted to the farmer’s home

Volunteers listening intently to the speakers

Zamser Ali, Assam state coordinator for CJP, conducting the training

Related:

Who is An Indian: Voices from Assam

CJP is committed to defending all genuine Indian citizens: Zamser Ali

Politicians must stand up against NRC: Teesta Setalvad