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Citizens for Justice and Peace

Sona returned to her brothers after spending six years in a detention camp. Ganoshakti

30, Aug 2021

Looking at the scene of the house, it may seem as if the brothers have found the sister who was lost in the fair at a young age. Brothers and sister hug each other and crying. Brother Sultan Ali and Sadek Ali never imagined that they would find their adorable little sister. But the sister returned home on Thursday. People are coming from far and wide to see Sona. A pleasant atmosphere at home. Suspected foreigner Sona Khatun(55) found her home on Thursday after spending six years in a detention camp. Bengali-speaking Son Khatun is a suspicious foreigner in the eyes of the Assam government police. The tribunal also declared her a foreigner. Due to which Sona Khatun’s place was in the detention camp. She has been released from jail like others prisoners as per orders of the Supreme Court last year. However, she is not yet free from foreigner badge.
Citizens for Justice & Peace (CJP) has been fighting for a long time to get Sona Khatun out of jail. The CJP has released at least 100 detenus in the last one year through legal battles and bail. However, according to the officials of the organization, they had to face the most difficult problem in getting Sona Khatun out of jail.
Sona Khatun’s father Magar Ali Sheikh has been a resident of Assam since the British rule. Their home was on the banks of the Brahmaputra river in Dhubri district of Assam. The first NRC was started in Assam in 1951 after the country became independent. Magar Ali Sheikh’s name was in that NRC list. Char area residents do not have a permanent address. In river erosion, the address has to be changed again and again. So Magar Ali’s family often had to move with seven sons and one daughter. So in some years the name is include in the voting list, again in another year it is omitted. They have no land deeds or school certificates. At one time Sona Khatun get married. They separated after a few years of marriage.The childless Sona Khatun returned to her father’s house after the divorce. A few years later, an acquaintance person hired her to work as a housemaid in Guwahati. After coming to Guwahati, she did not return home. One day police came and took Sona Khatun to the police station. That night she was sent to the Kokrajhar detention camp. The people of the house where she was staying tried to contact Sona Khatun’s family but could not find anyone at this address. It is heard that Assam Police has filed a case against Sona Khatun as a suspicious foreigner. The summons were then sent to Sona Khatun’s house from Foreigners Tribunal. But that summons did not reach. So she did not appear in the FT. As a result, the tribunal declared her a foreigner in a unilateral verdict. Then, about six years ago, one night she was put in jail. Sona Khatun is a Bengali speaking lady. Besides, they are illiterate. While she was in jail, her parents and five brothers died. The other two brothers are works as daily wage labour. While relocating, they have now staying in a remote village in South Shalmara district.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court passed a order, those who have served two years in jail to be granted bail on a bond of Rs one lakh. But Sona Khatun doesn’t have that much money. Moreover, communication with her close relatives has been cut off. After hearing about Sona Khatun from the Kokrajhar jail authorities, CJP officials started searching her house. Team CJP said, after searching for the last three months, they found the addresses of Sona Khatun’s two brothers. Bailor is then arranged and applied for bail. But another problem arises. Sona Khatun was born in Dhubri district of lower Assam. They had to move house again and again after birth. And Kamrup district police sent her foreigner notice. So, they had to go to the police superintendent of some districts. Sona Khatun comes under the open sky on Thursday. Team CJP took her to her brothers in Dhubri on the same day. As she was leaving, Sona Khatun said in a tearful voice, “I gave up hope of returning home. I finally met the brothers. That’s enough!”

 

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