Guwahati: The family members of Baijyanti Devi, the first woman martyr of Assam Agitation along with Sahitya Akademi awardee Durga Khatiwada have been excluded from the complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), an organisation of the Gorkhas said Sunday
Along with them, Manju Devi, the great granddaughter of freedom fighter Chabilal Upadhyay, has also been left out from the NRC upgrade process, they said. These three prominent cases involved Gorkhas and the NRC process has disrespected the community by excluding them, and the matter may be taken to court if not resolved, Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BhaGoPa) National Secretary Nanda Kirati Dewan said at a press conference here.
“Families of freedom fighters and martyrs of Assam Agitation have been disrespected by excluding them from NRC. This is not only disrespect to the Gorkhas, but also an insult to the freedom fighters and martyrs,” Dewan said.
The six-year-long Assam Agitation over identification and deportation of illegal immigrants was launched by the All Assam Students Union in 1979. It culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985, in the presence of the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. He said Sahitya Akademi awardee and president of Assam Nepali Sahitya Sabha Durga Khatiwada’s name has appeared in the Exclusion List released by the NRC authorities on June 26.
“Khatiwada holds 1951 NRC of his father as legacy. Although names of all his family members’ have been included in the NRC, he was excluded,” Dewan added. Baijyanti Devi’s father Amar Upadhyay said names of his grandsons Rohitakash and Mihiran along with their mother Nirmala Devi also featured in the exclusion list.
Dewan said another important case of exclusion from NRC came to the notice of BhaGoPa in Gorkha-dominated Tezpur. “Manju Devi, the great granddaughter of freedom fighter Chabilal Upadhyay, who was the founder of Congress party in Assam, has also been left out despite having shown proven parental lineage,” he said.
Manju Devi was told that she had been marked ‘D’ (doubtful) Voter in 2005 and that is why her name along with those of her sons and daughters were excluded. Manju Devi filed an RTI on this matter, got a clearance certificate from the Sonitpur Superintendent of Police and submitted its copy to the election department, without any positive result, Dewan said.
Asked about their future course of action, Dewan said, certified copies will be sought from the competent authorities to ascertain the reasons of the exclusions. The matter will then be taken to court, he added. BhaGoPa state general secretary Prakash Dahal said it is a blot on Assam Movement that the family of its first woman martyr has been left out doubting their nationality. “The issue should be resolved on or before last date of publication of the final NRC,” he added. (PTI)
