Sahitya Akademi winner Durga Khatiwada not named in Assam NRC draft

On June 26, the NRC authorities published an additional draft exclusion list with the names of 1,02,462 people who had included in the draft NRC, but found ineligible for inclusion.

According to the family members of 60-year-old Durga Khatiwada’s name appeared in the last additional draft exclusion list of NRC as a Doubtful-voter (D-voter).

Durga Khatiwada, 59, president of the Assam Nepali Sahitya Sabha, won the Sahitya Akademi award in 2001 for a work of translation was marked as Doubtful-voter in 1993-94 and he was declared as an Indian citizen by the Foreigners’ Tribunal in 2015.

His name was included in the complete draft of NRC, which was published on July 30 last year.

But, Durga Khatiwada’s name was mentioned in the last additional draft exclusion list.

Durga Khatiwada’s daughter Barnali Devi said that, they don’t know the reason behind it as it comes again and again.

“In 1993-94, my father’s name included in the voter list as a D-voter. Following that, we had submitted all documents and my father was declared as an Indian citizen and his name was also appeared in the voter list as an India citizen. But in the last list, which was published on June 26, my father’s name again included as a Doubtful-voter. My father got Sahitya Akademi Award in 2001. Everyone knows him as a good writer. He is also the president of the Nepali Sahitya Sabha of Assam. Why it comes again and again as he is a Doubtful-voter. I don’ know why it comes again. It is our government’s responsibility,” Barnali Devi said.

Barnali Devi further said that, five persons in their family and only her mother’s name appeared in the first draft of NRC.

“My father’s name was included in the second and complete draft, but my name and my brother’s name were not appeared,” Barnali said.

On the other hand, Durga Khatiwada’s wife 57-year-old Nipupama Devi, an employee of Indian railway said that, in 2015, the Foreigners’ Tribunal had declared her husband as an Indian citizen, but again served D-voter notice.

“We don’t know, what’s the reason behind it. We had submitted all documents during the NRC form submission process,” Nirupama said.

On the other hand, a Gorkha body Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangha (BGP) said that, the names of the kin of Bajyanti Devi, a Gorkha woman who died during the Assam Movement (1979-1985) and Manju Devi, the great-granddaughter of freedom fighter Chhabilal Upadhyaya are also appeared in the additional draft exclusion list.

Nanda Kirati Dewan, Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangha leader said that, the Gorkhas have supported the NRC process everytime.

“The names of the brother and sister-in-law of Bajyanti Devi, the first woman who died during the Assam movement were excluded in the NRC list. It is very tragic. Apart from it, the name of the great-granddaughter of freedom fighter and the first president of Assam Pradesh Congress Chhabilal Upadhyaya was also excluded,” Nanda Kirati Dewan said.

It is to be mentioned that, a total of 1,02,462 people were included in the additional draft exclusion list, which was published on June 26 last.

The persons whose names appear in the Additional Draft Exclusions List are those persons whose names were included in the Draft NRC published on July 30, 2018, but have been subsequently found ineligible due to various reasons.

According to the NRC authority, as per provisions contained in Clause 5 of the Schedule of The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, an Additional Draft Exclusion List consisting of 1,02,462 persons has been published.

The persons who were found to be DF (Declared Foreigner) or DV (Doubtful Voter) or PFT (persons with cases Pending at Foreigners Tribunals) or their descendants, as applicable, discovered after publication of Draft NRC; persons who were found to be ineligible while appearing as witness in hearings held for disposal of Claims & Objections; persons who were found to be ineligible during the process of verification carried out by the Local Registrars of Citizens Registration (LRCRs) under provisions of Clause 4(3), after publication of Complete Draft NRC on 30th July, 2018 have been appeared in the Additional Draft Exclusion list.

The Supreme Court has directed the State Coordinator, NRC of Assam and the Union Home ministry to publish the final updated NRC by July 31 this year.

The complete draft of NRC, containing names of 28,983,677 out of 32,991,384 applicants, was published on July 30 last year.

Around 40.07 lakh people were left out from the complete draft of NRC.

(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)