Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam
Cameraperson: Tridip K Mandal
This is Samsul Haque’s response when asked about his non-inclusion in the Assam NRC. After serving the Indian Air Force for 35 years, Samsul is now a retired sergeant.
He lives in Balukuri NC Village in Barpeta district of Assam. Samsul, his wife Noorjahan and their two children haven’t made it to the recently released draft of the National Register of Citizens or NRC.
In 2014, when Samsul returned to his native village after retiring from the Indian Air Force, he found that he has been listed as a ‘D’ Voter or Doubtful Voter by the Election Commission since 1997. For 20 long years he existed as a ‘doubtful’ citizen in official records.
The foreigners’ tribunal served notices to Samsul and his wife Nurjahan. They were asked to prove their Indian citizenship by March, 2016.
In August, 2016 the tribunal gave its verdict.
But now after the declaration of the draft of NRC, Samsul and his family have to prove their Indian identities all over again. They have most of the essential documents necessary for enrollment in the NRC.
Samsul and Nurjahan are confident that they will make it to the NRC. People whose names are missing can stake claim again to be included from 7 August. But they will need to find the reasons for exclusion and then submit additional documents.
But for now they are part of the 40 lakh people of Assam who are at the risk of becoming stateless since their names don’t feature in the NRC.
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