Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma has reportedly assured the withdrawal of “D-Voter” (doubtful voter) tags and pending cases in Foreigner’s Tribunals against the members Deshi Muslim community of the state.
This assurance came during a meeting on July 9 between the Chief Minister and a delegation from the Deshi Janagosthia Mancha, Assam, a social organization representing the community.
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Led by its president, Islamul Haque Mandal, the delegation submitted a memorandum detailing the harassment faced by indigenous Deshi Muslims due to their classification as doubtful citizens.
The organization provided a district-wise list of 84 individuals with pending cases in various Foreigner’s Tribunals and 124 individuals marked as D-Voters across the state. The affected districts include Goalpara, South Salmara – Mankachar, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Chirang, Kokrajhar, and Kamrup (Rural).
According to a press release issued by the organization’s president Islamul Haque Mandal, Chief Minister Sarma “assured that both D-Voter tags and Foreigner’s Tribunal cases of all the indigenous Muslims of the state would be withdrawn.”
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Eviction Fears Allayed for Deshi Families in Goalpara
Beyond the D-Voter and tribunal issues, the memorandum also highlighted the plight of 94 Deshi families in Kankata Part-1 revenue village under Rangjuli Revenue Circle in Goalpara district.
These families, who settled in the area before India’s independence after being displaced by Brahmaputra erosion, have recently received eviction notices from the Circle Officer. This comes after the revenue village was designated as VGR (Village Grazing Reserve) just a few years ago.
The Deshi Janagosthia Mancha, Assam, appealed to the Chief Minister to halt the evictions and demanded land pattas for these villagers.
In a positive outcome for the community, the Chief Minister reportedly assured the organization that the Deshi families of Kankata Part-1 will not be evicted and that the government will take necessary steps to address the situation.