- NET Web Desk
Following a protracted battle, an 83-years-old Assam woman was finally able to prove that she is an Indian citizen, but ten years after her son purportedly committed suicide after receiving a notification from the Foreigners’ Tribunal.
Akol Rani Namasudhra, a resident of Haritikor hamlet in southern Assam’s Cachar district, has attained Indian citizenship, after receiving an order of the Foreigners’ Tribunal in Silchar.
“Namasudhra has successfully proved her case by adducing cogent, reliable and admissible evidence. She has clearly been able to establish the fact of presence of herself on Indian soil as well as in the state of Assam, relatable to a period prior to January 1, 1966 in accordance with law… Namasudhra is a citizen of India and she is not a Foreigner,” said the Tribunal’s order, passed on Wednesday by Foreigner’s Tribunal-4 member Dharmananda Deb.
Arjun Namasudra, the octogenarian lady’s son, committed suicide in 2012 after he and his sister Anjali Roy received notice from the Foreigners’ Tribunal.
During the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raised Arjun’s suicide.
Following that, BJP officials, including former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, began paying visits to the family of Arjun. Akol Rani Namasudhra’s citizenship was first questioned by the Assam police’s border wing 22 years ago, although she was unaware of the action.
The Silchar Foreigner’s Tribunal issued a notice to Akol Rani Namasudhra on February 23, requesting her to establish her Indian citizenship.
