india

Updated: Sep 01, 2019 00:23 IST

Mohammad Sanaullah, the retired Indian Army junior commissioned officer (JCO) who was declared a foreigner by the tribunal earlier this year and sent to detention camp, was one of the 19 lakh people excluded from the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) list released on Saturday.

Though wife Samina Begum’s name was in the list, Sanaullah and their three children are not in it. As per NRC provisions, the children of people declared foreigners would not be included in the list. However, Sanaullah, whose appeal against the Foreigners’ Tribunal’s order is pending before the Gauhati high court, said that he had hoped for “some last minute change”.

Samina Begum made it to the final NRC as she had claimed her inclusion from her father’s side.Sanaullah said that he will wait for the high court’s decision.

“I was called to the NRC ‘sewa kendra’ in Chaygaon last week and asked to provide copies of the tribunal’s opinion, which declared me a foreigner, and my bail order from detention camp. So, I was hopeful that there might be some last minute change and my name would get included in the final NRC,” Sanaullah said.

“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 the disposal of my appeal in the high court before taking any other recourse,” he added.

Sanaullah was declared a foreigner by the Foreigners Tribunal, Kamrup, following a case registered in 2008 after 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 court, however, didn’t quash the order of the tribunal and said that his petition will be heard.

Ananta Kumar Malo, sitting legislator of opposition All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) from Abhayapuri South constituency, also found himself excluded from the NRC list released Saturday.

“I gave my father’s documents to show my legacy. While my daughter, brother and nephew are included in the list with the same documents, I am excluded,” said 63-year old Malo.

Meanwhile, AIUDF spokesman and MLA Aminul Islam who had earlier alleged that the NRC exercise was based on bias against minorities praised on Saturday the Supreme Court’s initiative of NRC updation.

“It will be premature to say whether we are satisfied or dissatisfied with the final NRC, but it is a step towards resolving the foreigners’ issue in Assam and this has been possible only due to the initiative of the Supreme Court,” he said.

The final list also came as a shock for Ataur Rahman Mazarbhuiya, a two-time MLA from Katigora in Cachar district of Barak Valley.

“I, my son Mazir Ahmed and one of my four daughters are missing from the list. We have provided documents including land records dating back to 1925 and were expecting to get included in the list. But we were left out as part of a conspiracy,” claimed the 66-year-old legislator.

Imrana Begun, the daughter of sitting Congress MLA from Dalgaon seat Ilias Ali, also found her name missing from the final NRC.

“It is a conspiracy and we condemn it. My daughter’s linkage certificate and her educational documents were provided. She was called for hearings, but her name was kept out willfully,” Ali said.

(Inputs from PTI)