In a surprising turn off events, Manju Devi, the granddaughter of the great Gorkha freedom fighter, Chabilal Upadhyay, finds herself a stranger in her own land, after her name was excluded from the final NRC, published earlier today.
The freedom fighter's granddaughter, while talking to Inside Northeast, said that she feels exhausted, exasperated and dejected. "I honestly feel harassed. This entire episode has exhausted me emotionally, and I am tired of answering these questions. Are we Bangladeshis?", she lamented.
Devi's story of being black-listed as a 'D' (or doubtful) voter is a rather curious one. "It was around 2005 after relocating to Guwahati, that I discovered that I had had been tagged as a 'D' voter", she says. Curiously, though, a case had not been registered against her, nor had she been sent a notice.
"It was all very curious, actually. I filed an RTI, showed proof of my citizens, produced all necessary documents, but the drama continues", she says.
Not only Manju, her two children have also been excluded from the list. "Frankly, I am more worried for my children. My husband's name has been included in the list, but my children have been excluded. This entire process is, for the lack of a better word, irritating", she says.
Manju has appealed for "justice" to the NRC authorities. "Stop this drama in the name of NRC. Indigenous 'sons of the soil' have every right to be included in the NRC. I, as the granddaughter of the Gorkha brave Chabilal Upadhyay, have every right to be a part of the NRC", she adds.
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