01, Nov 2019 | Sanchita Kadam

Two months after the final draft of the NRC (National register of Citizens) was released and
19,06,657 people of Assam were excluded from the list, the authorities are handing out certified copies of “Reasons of Rejection” in some districts in Assam to people who were excluded from the final draft. These certified copies include the reason why the excluded person was left out of the final draft and on basis of this document, the excluded person has 120 days to file an appeal before a Foreigners Tribunal (FT).

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.

One such case is of Marfat Ali and his family hailing from family from Baralimari Gaon, circle Dhing in Nagaon District of Assam. The reason cited for exclusion of his and family members’ names from the final draft is that they did not submit their documents at the NSK (NRC Seva Kendra) for the purpose of inclusion of their names in the NRC. However, that is untrue. Marfat Ali has in fact submitted all requisite documents along with the claim forms at the nearest NSK in his district and even received a stamp in confirmation of receipt on the “Summary of Documents” from the Local Registrar of Citizen Registration. The same is evident in the image below:

Marfat Ali and his family were distraught of being excluded from the NRC despite of having submitted legacy documents dated as old as 1965. His name is included as a voter in Assam since 1965.

He approached CJP’s volunteer motivator Faruk Ahmed for help and thus CJP’s campaign is gaining more traction. CJP is now helping Marfat Ali and his family and many such families who have received the copies of the reason for rejections to prepare for the next step, which is filing an appeal before the Foreigners Tribunals.

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.

There are many families who have received and will receive their copies of reasons for rejections thus increasing the scope of CJP’s work in Assam and we are determined to soldier on and take forward our cause and help such families to get justice before the FTs.

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