Silchar woman becomes first person in Assam to receive Indian citizenship after two years in detention

In a significant development linked to the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in Assam, a woman identified as Dipali Das from Silchar has reportedly become the first person in the state to receive Indian citizenship under the legislation after spending two years in a detention camp as a suspected foreigner.

According to reports, Dipali Das, a resident of Dholai Hawaithang in Silchar, had been living under the shadow of doubtful citizenship for several years. She had entered Assam from Bangladesh on February 7, 1988, allegedly after facing persecution. However, due to the absence of valid documents proving her Indian citizenship, authorities later declared her a suspected foreign national.

In 2019, she was sent to a detention camp in Silchar after failing to establish her citizenship status. Das spent nearly two years in detention before eventually being released.

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After her release, she approached social worker Kamal Chakravarty for assistance. Chakravarty then connected her with advocate Dharmananda Deb, who took up her legal battle. Following prolonged legal proceedings, the case was resolved in her favour, compelling the authorities to grant her Indian citizenship under the provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Observers say the development marks a rare and historic case in Assam’s legal and citizenship landscape, as it is believed to be the first instance in which a person who had spent two years in detention as a declared foreigner was subsequently granted Indian citizenship through legal intervention.

The case has drawn attention to the complexities surrounding citizenship verification and the functioning of detention camps in Assam, particularly in districts such as Cachar, where several such cases have surfaced over the years.