Guwahati, 15th October, 2020: Musa Mondal became the 107^th casualty of the citizenship crisis in Assam when he allegedly handed 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 from the 8^th Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT) in Barpeta. After this he approached a lawyer and paid her a huge sum of money to fight his case. It was difficult for the unlettered man to organise the funds as he is the only earning member in his impoverished family of four. However, shortly afterwards, his lawyer met with an accident and had to be hospitalised. After 10 days in a coma, she was bed ridden for about 9 months. As she couldn’t appear before the FT during this period, Musa Mondal was declared foreigner by ex-parte judgment.

Musa Mondal, who was living on a small piece of government land in Kayastha para, along the banks of Naljhora river, which flows into India from Bhutan, lost his mental balance as the Advocate informed him that he needed to pay a further Rs 80,000 to knock the doors of Gauhati High Court to challenge the order of the FT. He was quite upset about the development and was trying to gather money for filing a petition, challenging the order of the Foreigners’ Tribunal and proving himself to be Indian. For the last one and half years, he tried to gather some money but failed.

After a point he could not deal with his distress any more. On October 11, 2020 he left his home and became untraceable. He returned briefly, but left again. Sometime later, he was discovered hanging nearby.

It may be mentioned that Voyage Mondal (Musa’s father) and Foyez Mondal, two sons of Eju Mondal was enrolled in the Voters List of 1965 and 1970 in the Khudnamari Pathar village that falls under the jurisdiction of the Sorbhog police station of Barpeta district. The name of Musa Mondal who is son of Voyage Mondal is enrolled as a voter since 1989.

Khudnamari Pathar and Kayastha Para are located adjacent to each other and often bear the brunt of floods that are common in the area. Unlike Musa Mondal, many people of Khudnamari Pathar migrated to Kayastha para as major parts of both these villages were affected by flooding of the Naljhora river. Though Musa Mondal was voting in Kayastha Para in the later period, he was marked as D Voter and finally faced Foreigners case.

Madhab Ali a.k.a Ali Mohammad Mondal, who is the son of Musa’s uncle Fayez Mondal says, “Musa and I faced Foreigners Cases simultaneously. I was declared Indian based on the same legacy documents. But, Musa Mondal, who was my cousin, was declared a foreigner!” It is noteworthy that the names of both brothers, Voyage Mondal and Foyez Mondal, were recorded in the Voters Llist of 1965 and 1970 not only in the same village, but in the same family.

But it looks like things are only going to get worse for this village. Shajahan Ali, an educated youth of the village says, in the Voters list of Kayastha Para, there are 42 people who have been marked D Voters! He fears they will all end up like Musa Mondal, if they don’t find proper help in time.

Related:

NRC related fears claim one more life in Assam

Over 16 deaths so far due to CAB-NRC panic in Bengal?

NRC rumours spark suicides in Bengal, BJP stirs communal pot

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In yet another instance of what are being dubbed institutional murders, 42 year old Fayjal Hoque allegedly took his life, unable to cope with anxiety and anguish related to the National Register of Citizens.

Hoque was an urban labourer and was found dead at his home in Kodomtola in Barpeta district. He had allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself. He is survived by his wife who is a daily wage labourer herself and two daughters aged 12 and 7.

“His family told me that he had a D Voter case against him as a result of which his name had been excluded from the NRC. He had been running pillar to post to prove his citizenship, but it took a toll on him. He had been depressed for a month and took his own life after losing all hope and strength,” says CJP Volunteer Motivator Majidul Islam.

Th epolice visited his home yesterday and Hoque’s body has been sent for a post mortem.

CJP has been compiling information on these institutional murders for over a year now. Most people who lose hope and feel that there is no other alternative than to take their own lives hail from economically backward and socially marginalized communities. Many are daily wage labourers whose families go hungry every time they cannot to go work because of appearances before Assam’s infamous Foreigners’ Tribunals (FTs). These FTs, in turn, are notorious for either passing adverse judgments ex parte i.e in the absence of the accused, or due to minor discrepancies in documents. Many even go on to suggest that the parents of the accused are ‘projected parents’ and not actual parents.

All of this is extremely humiliating, cumbersome, time consuming and drains people of their drive to soldier on. The fear of being forced to suffer amidst inhuman conditions in a detention camp is another key factor that pushes people over the edge. This is why so many people have allegedly taken their own lives.

The final updated NRC was released in August 2019, and it left out over 19 lakh people. The BJP led Assam government allegedly only rejected this NRC because a large number of those excluded were Bengali Hindus, a potential vote bank for their politics of religious division. But the people of Assam who have pushed for the NRC have never been divided along religious lines. They have looked up to the process to weed out all alleged Bangladeshi migrants, irrespective of their religion. This is why when the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was passed to legitimize non-Muslim migrants from three neighbouring countries including Bangladesh, Assam mounted the strongest defense, rejecting it with all their might.

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The report may be read here.

Minutes past 10 a.m. on August 31, the NRC Coordinator’s office through its office in Guwahati announced that as many as 3,11,21,004 have been included in the final NRC list and 19,06,657 have been left out. The NRC is a process being undertaken by the Coordinator under the supervision of the Supreme Court of India since 2009. Reports of the suicide were reported by the web portal by 11.40 a.m.

While over the past week, the Assam government and even its police were appealing to people not to despair, the NRC and Citizenship process has taken its toll on the unlettered and marginalised in Assam. Until August 22, 2019 a week before the publication of the final list, there were no reassuring statements forthcoming from the state government. Last Saturday, for the first time, Sabaranandan Sonowal appealed to people on all local television channels ‘not to despair’ as not all those excluded were not Indian citizens. He hd also stated that legal aid would be provided to all those excluded to navigate the tortuous route of establishing their existence in Foreigners Tribunals.
 

In July 2019, CJP compiled a list of citizenship and NRC related deaths in Assam: In Assam, nearly 60 people have lost their lives and their deaths are connected to citizenship related issues. While some have allegedly committed suicide due to frustration, anxiety and helplessness related to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), some allegedly took their own lives fearing incarceration in detention camps. There are also some people who died under rather mysterious circumstances in detention camps. The CJP team has painstakingly compiled and verified these deaths and here is the list as of July 18, 2019.
 

Assam’s Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah held discussions on the impending situation arising out the final publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) list on August 31,2019. Following these meetings, local media reported that a policy decision has been taken to give legal aid to all those excluded from the list.

Significantly, Sonowal has gone out of the way to assert that there was no need to panic and not all those excluded from the final list are ‘not necessarily not Indians.’ With a week to go, and anxieties mounting on the situation that hundreds of thousands may have to face given the bureaucratic hurdles and ‘mistakes’ that are anticipated, these announcements are welcome, if not overdue.
The MHA has also reportedly extended the deadline for the filing of appeals to 120 days (two months). What is still unclear is whether this date will start getting counted from the date when the victims of exclusion get the ‘certified copy of the order from NRC and all documents’ or not. This would be crucial in making these appeals viable and effective. The MHA press release may be read here,
 

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On July 21, Rohim Uddin, a resident of Kacharigaon, Lanka in Hojai district, allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison. It is alleged that he took this extreme step because his name had appeared in the Additional Exclusion List published on June 26.
 
CJP’s Volunteer Motivator Jamir Uddin Talukdar reported, “Rohim Uddin’s name was included in the final draft of the NRC that was published on July 31, 2018. However, on June 26, 2019, his name appeared in the exclusion list. When he came to know about this, he approached his LRCR of his own NSK. The LRCR told him that his legacy data was cancelled few days ago. So, there is no option to include his name in final NRC.

The LRCR also told him that for using the wrong legacy data he may be punished with an amount of Rs. 50,000 and three years of imprisonment.” This allegedly frustrated Rohim Uddin to the point that he allegedly consumed poison on July 19. But luckily he survived as his family promptly took him to a private hospital in Hojai. But he was released on July 20 due to floods putting an unprecedented burden on the hospital’s resources. “On July 21, he attempted suicide again by consuming poison and this time he died,” said Talukdar.

 
According to Rohim Uddin’s documents, his father was registered as Bashir Ali in the Voter List of 1971, which Rahim Uddin used as legacy data. But his father was popularly known as Bashir Uddin, which was used in all other documents post 1971. Due to this, Rahim Uddin’s name was excluded from the NRC. Interestingly, names of all others in his family remain intact.
 
The second person to die was Jamir Uddin Sheikh of Dangaigaon village in Chirang district of lower Assam. He died of a cardiac arrest on July 22. CJP Community Volunteer Pranay Tarafdar reported, “Jamir Uddin Sheikh had all valid documents, and yet he was declared foreigner by the Bongaigaon Foreigners Tribunal. Subsequently he applied for bail in Gauhati High Court. The Gauhati High Court accepted the bail application and he was living at his home on bail. He was frustrated that not a single name of his family appeared in final draft of NRC as he is a Declared Foreigner in the eyes of law.” It is believed that this is what caused his cardiac arrest and death. 
 

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A brief analysis of the profile of those who died

A total of 58 people have died so far. These include 9 women. Those who died hailed from low income, underprivileged and marginalised backgrounds. Many were living hand to mouth as daily wage labourers. While 28 of those who died are Hindus, 27 are Muslims, one Boro, one Gorkha and one member of Tea Tribes.

The post Citizen Interrupted: Lives lost due to NRC and related issues in Assam appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 
The ongoing citizenship crisis caused by a callous bureaucracy and political establishment in the centre and state –ably assisted by no real relief from the Supreme Court –have resulted in 51 deaths so far.
 
See Related Articles

• 93 year old found dead in Assam after objection filed against his name in NRC
• 70 year Bengali Hindu dies in Goalpara Detention Camp in Assam (43rd death)
• EXCLUSIVE: Despairing of Justice, the 30th Citizen commits Suicide in Assam: NRC
• EXCLUSIVE: Suicides in Assam Continue, after NRC dubs retired School Teacher, ‘Foreigner’

 
The first news of this lates ‘4D-related’ death came from Chirang District as an elderly man,  Sharafat Ali of Village Dhupuri that falls under the Bijni police station died due to depression after he was served a ‘Foreigners notice’ from the Bongaigaon foreigners tribunal. The second incident happened at Village Kapahartari under the Kayakuchi area of Barpeta District, where Hikmat Ali (55) committed suicide after his wife Kad Banu was ‘declared a foreigner’ by the oreigners Tribunal of Barpeta. It must be recalled that, Hikmat Ali was alone in his home at the time of the tragedy last evening. His wife is untraceable since she was declared foreigner. Both his sons were was out of the house.

 
The wife of a daily wage labourer, Kad Banu was daughter of Samsul Haque alias Samsul Ali alias Samsul Mondal. She was declared a ‘foreigner’ only because of the discrepancy that appeared on the title documents of her father, who possesses all relevant documents from year 1951 onwards. Hikmat Ali had already to bear huge costs for getting legal representation for his wife’s case before the Barpeta foreigners tribunal. After she was declared foreigners by the foreigners tribunal at Barpeta, Hikmat Ali filed a review petition at Gauhati High Court. However given the track record of other such cases so far, even in the higher judiciary, he appears to have lost all hope and it was with this background that the tragedy took place. He committed suicide by hanging himself on the evening June 19, 2019, yesterday.
 
In another such tragic incident, Sharfat Ali (74), son of Majar Ali of Village Dhupuri under the Bijni Police station of Chirang District was served a foreigners notice by the Bongaigaon foreigners tribunal on May 31, 2019. Sharfat Ali was served the notice by Manikpur police station of Bongaigaon District just five days back. He was asked to attend the Bongaigaon Foreigners Tribunal by June 20, 2019. He was very agitated after receiving this sudden notice as he is in possession of all relevant documents since 1951 to prove his citizenship. Since the day he received the notice, Sharfat Ali, who was facing extreme poverty, stopped eating and drinking. After five days long starvation he breathed his last at noon on June 19, 2019.

 
CJP’s Team Assam has swung into action, stepping in with all resources available and even taken on the responsibility for assisting in the legal battle to prove the citizenship of Sharfat Ali. Even after his tragic demise, the way the ‘rules’ have been twisted and structured, if Sharfat Ali’s citizenship cannot be conclusively proved, the citizenship rights of the siblings of the deceased Sharfat Ali will be affected permanently.
 
 “The CJP legal group member at Bongaigaon, Abdur Rahim will appear at Bongaigaon foreigners tribunal on June 20 on behalf of the grief-striken family” said CJP Community Volunteer Prof. Mizanur Rahman while speaking to Sabrang India.
 
 CJP Community Volunteer and General Secretary of Bharatiya Nagorik Adhikar Surakshya Mancha, Nanda Ghosh is also making all-out efforts to coordinate with the victim family and the CJP’s legal team so that the Citizenship Rights of the victim’s family also do not get affected. Ghosh has also appealed to all sections of the people of the country to come forward to extend all possible help to avert tragedies arising out of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Assam.
 
See more reportage:

1. Labelled as a foreigner, Assamese man dies in detention camp
2. Another Suicide in Assam due to the ‘Foreigner’ Issue
3. Assam NRC: Son follows in father’s footsteps, commits suicide
4. Omitted From NRC: Man Commits Suicide In Assam
5. Distress Deaths Continue Unabated, Suicides Cross 35: NRC Process, Assam
6. EXCLUSIVE: 33rd Suicide Victim of D Voter in Assam: NRC
7. EXCLUSIVE: Despairing of Justice, the 30th Citizen commits Suicide in Assam: NRC
8. Twin suicides in Assam due to exclusion from NRC final draft
9. Bengali Hindu labeled “Bangladeshi”, found dead in Assam Detention Camp

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The post NRC Authority goofs up, Assam man attempts suicide appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Bhaben Das family

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He had been running from pillar to post to prove his citizenship and was under acute mental trauma after being served with repeated notice” alleged the mother of Das , who is survived by his mother, wife and a child. Ever since Das’s death, a subtle anxiety has gripped the town of Kalaigaon, a two hour’s drive from state capital Guwahati. Some local community members have also hinted that anti-Bengali sentiments have flared up, and Das’s suicide is an example of how arbritariliy Bengali Hindu names being excluded from the NRC. They feel this is a deliberate attempt to brand Bengali Hindu names as ‘declared foreigner’ in an arbitrary fashion by NRC authorities. The death of the sole bread winner of the family has sparked a flurry of visits almost from all quarters, including student organizations All BTC Bengali Youth Students Federation(ABBYSF),All Assam Bengali Youth Students Federation(AABYSF) and the media persons.But the family, according to community members, still awaits a visit from Member of Parliament from Mangaldai Lok Sabha,Ramen Deka who hardly manages time to visit the bereaved family members of such unfortunate incidents.

Adviser of the All BTC Bengali Youth Students Federation(ABBYSF),Shyamal Sarkar alleged that the NRC updation process and D-voter notices have been a nightmare for many genuine citizens of state mostly genuine Hindu Citizens. He further alleged that the state government has adopted political conspiracy against the Bengali Hindus and saffron party’s committment to grant citizenship to Bengali Hindus is just for vote bank politics. “If the BJP was genuinely concerned for passing the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 they could have brought the law promulgating ordinance by the President .” said Sarkar. The CAB is just a political gimmick to woo the Bengali Hindus and garner their votes he maintained. He also echoed the views of the locals that Mangaldai Lok Sabha MP and veteran BJP leader Ramen Deka have never ever visited the bereaved family members of NRC related suicides in Udalguri and people are ready to oust him if Deka contests the forthcoming Parliamentary polls from BJP.

“Earlier it was ,Dipak Debnath(49) an inhibitant of Ulubari(Ghagra) village under Harisinga PS in Udalguri district of Assam who committed suicide by hanging self in the wee hours on October 28,2018.Similarly Gopal Das(65)purportedly under pressure to prove himself an Indian citizen and fearing of being excluded in NRC committed suicide at Nislamari village under Tangla PS in Udalguri district on June 13. Another include Bimal Chandra Ghosh(59) a resident of Karimchowk area of Mangaldai in Darrang district of Assam who was working as an assistant teacher at Tangla Model High School allegedly committed suicide due to acute mental trauma of being excluded in NRC.

Even as civil society members and the public blame NRC exclusion for Das’s death, Superintendent of Police,Udalguri,Longnit Terang told this correspondent that the victim had sufficient documents to prove his citizenship and prima-facie it doesn’t appear that the cause of suicide is due to the NRC. Another local community leader told this correspondent, “With the information we have collected the person’s suicide is not appatently due to NRC as he had all the sufficient documents but it ia true that he was being repeatedly served notices from NRC. President of Tangla Human Rights Forum a local NGO,Sailen Kumar Sharma said,

“Every developing nation has policies regarding detection and deportation of illegal immigrants and grant of citizenship.” Expressing concern over the plight of doubtful citizens Sharma said, ” The government should draft policies for rehabilation of illegal immigrants and grant them special status for working and living as a dignified human as even their human rights can’t be violated by making them languish in detention camps.Pertinently,The NRC is a register containing names of all genuine Indian citizens residing in Assam.The update process of NRC started in the year 2013 under the strict monitoring of the Supreme Court of India. The Supreme Court has set July 31st, 2019 as the deadline for the publication of the NRC.

On the midnight of December 31st, 2017, Part Draft NRC was released and subsequently on July 30th, 2018, the Complete Draft NRC was released. 2,89, 83,677 persons were found eligible out of 3,29,91,384 applicants in the final draft of the NRC. Of these, 37,59,630 names have been rejected and the remaining 2,48,077 are on hold.

Shajid Khan is an Independent journalist,human right activist and a law student of Gauhati University,Assam.In his years of journalistic experience he has contributed numerous political, socio-political stories for bountiful national,international publications. He also pens down analytic commentary on print and web based publications. He can be reached at itsshajidkhan@gmail.com*

Courtesy: Counter Currents
 

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