Sushmita urges Chandradhar's family to fight for his citizenship in high court

Chandradhar Das of Amraghat lost his Indian citizenship in 2018 by an ex parte order of the foreigner’s tribunal. The 104-year-old man died last Sunday at his residence. His last wish was to prove his Indian citizenship before his death which didn’t happen. The old man died as an illegal Bangladeshi. The whole valley got stunned at his death and many are standing by the family at this moment of grief.

Arriving at their home on Monday evening, Sushmita Dev, former MP cum President of National Women’s Congress, advised them not to stop fighting for his citizenship. She told the family to continue their efforts so that Chandradhar Das can be declared an Indian even after his death. She said she would be willing to take full responsibility for the legal process.

Speaking to Barak Bulletin she told “It’s not just the death of one person, it’s an example of the failure of our entire law and order system. The family should fight now for the man who left the world with only the hope of getting an Indian citizenship before his death. It is a time-consuming and costly affair to go through. I have assured the family members that if they agree to approach the High Court then I will bear the full expenses. I want to do that not just as a politician but as a human being, because our history of suffering is endless.”

Leading media outlets across the country have covered his story. The incident has caused a stir across the country and many want to stand by his family. However, Niyati Roy and his brother, who recently lost their father have not yet made a decision on whether to continue and fight his case. They said, “We wanted to fight with all our might to keep my father alive. We still want his citizenship to be recognised even after his death. However, we don’t know how far we will able to make frequent visits to Guwahati and fight for his cause. We have our mother with us and she’s our comrade in this fight. Her mental condition is not good. We are common people. We only want to live in peace.”