CJP volunteers counsel distressed families, help with procedure and paperwork
June 26 brought more bad news for the people of Assam, when an Additional Exclusion list was released as per which 1,02,462 more people will be excluded from the NRC. This is in addition to the 40, 07,707 who had been excluded from the draft NRC published on July 30, 2018. This has caused widespread anguish among people, but CJP team of volunteer motivators has hit the ground running, and we are determined to help all genuine Indian citizens defend their citizenship.
Image courtesy: https://cjp.org.in/assam/
After the July 30, 2018 list was released, the excluded people were given an opportunity to file their claims. Meanwhile, objections were filed against 2 lakh people out of those already included in the list. The Additional Exclusion list includes names of people that were included in the July 30, 2018 list but subsequently found ineligible upon re‐verification or during the hearings for the claims and objections. These people were given time till July 12, 2019 to file their claims with the competent authority.
Over four million people have been left out of the NRC draft, most of them from socio-economically backward communities. Now CJP, drawing from its previous experience in providing legal aid in Gujarat, has stepped in with a multi-faceted team of lawyers and volunteers to ensure that these people receive a fair chance while filing claims across 18 of the worst affected districts. Your contribution can help cover the costs of a legal team, travel, documentation and technological expenses. Please donate generously here.
These distressed people, most of whom are illiterate and poor, are receiving constant support from the CJP Assam team. Our District Volunteer Motivators (DVMs) and Community Volunteers (CVs) are accompanying the affected masses in the hearings at centres located far away from their place of residence. The DVMs and CVs are even helping the excluded people arrange the necessary documents and have helped in successfully completing multiple hearings.
Majidul Islam, DVM of Barpeta District, has been reaching out to the affected families in his district. From June 26, 2019, he visited various places in Barpeta, helped people search their names in the list and ensuring them that no injustice would be done.
DVM of Kamrup District, Anish Ahmed Bhuyan is constantly working with the helpless people, attending their hearings and supporting them by checking their documents. He had even arranged a help desk at his home in Assam. As per the information received from him, many people are included in the additional exclusion list in Kamrup District (Goroimari Circle); 92 peoples from Batahidia NSK, 13 from Majortup NSK, 44 from Pukhuripar NSK, 133 from Tukurapara NSK, 28 from Hatipara NSK , 87 from Bhauriabhitha NSK, 187 from Hatisola Bhulukabiri NSK, 84 from Jursimolu NSK, 25 from Asolpara NSK, 130 from Soutara NSK. Bhuyan has been reaching out to these people and helping them arrange their documents as well as giving them psychological support.
Faruk Ahmed, DVM of Nagaon and Morigaon District is working constantly on the ground in Nagaon, Morigaon, Karbi Anglong and Hojai districts of Assam. On July 2, 2019 he sent some helping pictures from Senimari village, Morigaon. On July 5, 2019 he successfully helped complete the hearing of Josnara Begum. Josnara Begum, daughter of Abdul Jalil is a resident of Kuiadol Village, Morigaon District. She has been voting from 2009, but her name is included in the additional exclusion list as she is a D‐ Voter. Faruk Ahmed checked her all documents and voter list from 2009 and submitted them in the hearing.
On July 2, 2019 DVM of Sonitpur District, Mubarak Ali, arranged NRC awareness camps at his home where he discussed about DV, DF, FT, the documents needed and how to fill the forms. He arranged similar awareness camps at various places in Sonitpur.
Sitenjoy Sarkar, DVM of Bongaigaon District, has been working on the ground with immense zeal. On July 5, 2019 he was present at the Circuit House hearing centre in Bongaigaon to support Dipali Mazumdar, a resident of Sotlau village in Chirang district, who had received an objection notice. Mazumdar had used the father Jatindra Das’s legacy data which was used by some other person as well. Sitenjoy helped Mazumdar in submitting the valid documents and helped complete the hearing successfully.
On June 28, 2019, CJP Mumbai team visited the districts of Assam that are the most affected by the ongoing NRC crisis, Nagaon, Morigaon and Chirang, to interact with the affected and hold consultations. People in huge numbers were present at these public meetings. However, due to time constraints, the CJP Assam team decided to re-visit the places after a few days. Consequently, from July 2 to July 5, 2019 Zamser Ali, State Coordinator of CJP, Assam, Faruk Ahmed DVM of Morigaon and a team of volunteers went to Dagaon in Nagaon District, Hahchora gaon and Kupotimari gaon in Morigaon, Sapormukh and helped many people in arranging their documents and gave them moral support. Other CJP VMs tirelessly working for the helpless people in Assam include- Jamir Uddin Talukdar, Abul Kalam Azad, Mubarak Hussain, Forhad Ali, Chandmal Deka, Uttam Roy, Baharul Islam, Moksedul Hoque, Amrit Das among others.