Ex-soldier declared 'foreigner' in Assam citizen list

He had served in the Indian army as a decorated officer and took part in the 1999 Kargil war against Pakistan but today he woke up to find his name and names of his three children out of the final NRC, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Mohd Sanaullah, the retired Indian Army junior commissioned officer (JCO), who hogged media limelight earlier this year when he was declared a foreigner by a Foreigners' Tribunal in Assam and sent to detention camp, was hoping against hope that he and his entire family would make the final cut.

However, when the final NRC came out this morning, his name as also names of his two daughters and a son went are also missing from the list. However, Sanaullah's wife figured in the document.

Sanaullah said he would wait for the High Court to decide his appeal before considering his next move.

He also said he had hoped for "some last-minute change" making his inclusion in the NRC possible, but that did not happen.

"I was called to the NRC sewa kendra in Chaygaon last week and asked to provide copies of the Foreigners' Tribunal opinion, which declared me as foreigner, and my bail order from detention camp. Due to that I was hopeful that there might be some last-minute change and my name would get included in the Final NRC. But that didn't happen," Sanaullah said.

"Along with my name, names of my daughters, Shahnaz Akhtar and Hilmina Akhtar, and my son Saeed Akhtar are also missing from the final list. We will wait for disposal of my appeal in High Court before taking any other recourse," he added. 

Assam NRC list was released on Saturday morning leaving out about 1.9 million people from the register of citizens. These people will now need to file appeals at Foreigners' Tribunals to prove their citizenship.

Sanaullah, who fought in the Kargil war and also won a President's medal, was declared a "foreigner" by the Foreigners Tribunal in Kamrup after a case was registered in 2008 as his name was listed as a "D" (doubtful) voter. He was sent to a detention camp in May before he was granted bail by the Gauhati High Court. The High Court, however, did not quash the order of the Foreigners' Tribunal that had declared Sanaullah a foreigner and ruled hearings on his petition will continue.

Since Sanaullah is a declared foreigner and his appeal against the Tribunal order is pending in Guwahati High Court, neither him nor his children had any chance of getting included in the final list.

Sanaullah said he would wait for the High Court to decide his appeal before considering his next move.

He said he had hoped for "some last-minute change" making his inclusion in the NRC possible, but that didn't happen.

"I was called to the NRC sewa kendra in Chaygaon last week and asked to provide copies of the Foreigners' Tribunal opinion, which declared me as foreigner, and my bail order from the detention camp. Due to that I was hopeful that there might be some last-minute change and my name would get included in the Final NRC. But that didn't happen."

"Along with my name, names of my daughters, Shahnaz Akhtar and Hilmina Akhtar, and my son Saeed Akhtar are also missing from the final list. We will wait for disposal of my appeal in High Court before taking any other recourse," Sanaullah said.

As per NRC provisions, names of those who have been declared foreigners by Tribunals, and names of their children can't get included in the NRC final list.

A retired Subedar with the Indian Army, Sanaullah, 52, joined the force in 1987. His service discharge book notes two stints in Jammu and Kashmir and one in Manipur in the "war service showing the theatre of operation" column.

Assam government official Chandramal Das had prepared an inquiry report that termed Sanaullah a "foreigner". On the basis of an inquiry report by Das, Sanaullah was served a notice in 2008 to prove his citizenship. He appeared before the Tribunal in 2018 and was declared a foreigner on May 23, and sent to a detention centre in Goalpara.