Several residents of West Bengal's Cooch Behar district, who were served notices by the Assam government questioning their Indian citizenship earlier this year, have finally found their names on a crucial draft list, bringing immense relief after months of anxiety.
The Ordeal of Uttam Kumar Brajabashi
Uttam Kumar Brajabashi, a 50-year-old resident of Cooch Behar, spent many sleepless nights after receiving a notice from the Assam government in January 2025. The notice demanded he prove his Indian citizenship, alleging he was an illegal immigrant who had entered India from Bangladesh through the Assam border between 1966 and 1971 and resided in Dinhata. The notice further stated that Brajabashi had failed to present valid documents during police verification.
This caused deep distress for Brajabashi, a Koch Ranbangshi from Dinhata, who asserted he had never left Cooch Behar in his entire life. His fears of being declared a foreigner and treated as an illegal Bangladeshi intruder persisted for weeks.
Similar Cases and Tribunal Hearings
Brajabashi was not alone. Another senior citizen, 72-year-old Nishikanta Das from Kushiyar Bari in Mathabhanga-II block, received a similar notice from the Assam Foreigners' Tribunal in the third week of April. The notice accused Das of illegal entry during the same 1966-1971 period and sought his reply by May 21.
When Das appeared before the tribunal, he presented his Aadhaar card, voter ID, and ration card as proof of citizenship. However, these documents were not accepted, forcing a worried Das to seek help from the district administration of Cooch Behar.
In total, five persons from Cooch Behar received these NRC notices. The others were Arati Ghosh, Manowara Bibi, and Dipankar Sarkar.
Political Clash and a Crucial Government Notification
The issuance of these notices intensified the political rivalry between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition BJP in West Bengal. While TMC activists hit the streets in protest, the local BJP unit wrote to its state leadership seeking intervention.
Amidst this tension, a pivotal development occurred. The Assam government issued a notification dated February 4, 2025, which clarified that all Koch Ranbangshis would be treated as indigenous people of Assam. This notification ultimately paved the way for a resolution in these cases.
Relief at Last: Names on the Draft SIR List
The anxiety finally ended on a recent Tuesday when it was confirmed that the names of Uttam Kumar Brajabashi and Nishikanta Das, along with the other three notice recipients, were included in the draft SIR (Supplementary List of Inclusions) list. This inclusion effectively validated their claim to Indian citizenship and brought their harrowing ordeal to a close.
Both major political parties claimed credit for the positive outcome. Girindranath Barman, chairman of Cooch Behar TMC, stated, "This is the yield of the movement we did to protect our citizens. If we had not hit the streets, many more would have received such notices. This is a major victory for Trinamool."
On the other hand, Abhijit Barman, Cooch Behar BJP president, countered, "TMC was playing opportunistic politics all along. They were misguiding the notice recipients, and the state was deliberately not providing them with documents the Assam Foreigners' Tribunal was seeking. Tuesday's list proved that BJP is always with our countrymen."
The episode highlights the complex and often distressing process of citizenship determination in border regions and the significant impact of government clarifications on indigenous communities.
