GUWAHATI: After Army’s retired honourary captain Md Sanaullah, the nationality of a head constable of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in Assam is being questioned.
Mamud Ali, 46, received a notice from the authorities which suspected him to be a “doubtful” voter, also called “D” voter. However, the CISF jawan, currently posted in Bankura of West Bengal, claimed that his family had been living in Assam from before India’s independence.
The National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is being updated based on March 24, 1971 cut-off date. This means individuals who migrated to India illegally after March 24, 1971 will be viewed as illegal immigrants.
Ali, who joined the CISF in 1995, said he was in possession of several pre-1971 documents of his father Keramat Ali who died in 1997. Also, his name and that of his family members figured in the draft NRC.
“Recently, I got a call from a government officer who asked me to depose during a hearing as a D voter notice was served on me. I took leave and came home. Subsequently, I appeared in the hearing on July 6,” Ali, who hails from Kamrup (Rural) district, told this newspaper.
He said he had furnished documents such as his father’s school certificates issued in 1946 besides copies of 1951 NRC and 1966 voters’ list containing the name of his father in both.
“I don’t know how I become a doubtful voter when my name figured in NRC. Also, there is no suspicion about the Indian nationality of my family members. This is nothing but subjecting a genuine Indian citizen to harassment. There are cases where people committed suicides after getting such notices,” Ali said.
“I wish the met the person who suspected my nationality. I would have filed a defamation suit against him. They should know that like any others, I have prestige and self-respect,” he added.
Md Sanaullah was declared a “foreigner” by a Foreigners’ Tribunal and sent to a detention camp. On June 8, he walked out to freedom after being granted bail by the Gauhati High Court.