In October, a Foreigners' Tribunal asked a retired JCO of the Indian Army to prove his citizenship (File)
A retired Havildar of the Indian Army has been asked to prove his Indian citizenship by a Foreigners' Tribunal in Assam. This comes a month after the Tribunal sent a similar notice to a retired JCO of the Indian Army.
The Foreigners' Tribunal in Assam's Barpeta district has sent notice to retired Havildar Mahiruddin Ahmed and his wife Husniara Ahmed to be present in the Tribunal on November 6 and prove their Indian citizenship.
Born in January 1, 1964 to Basir Uddin, resident of Khablarbhita village in Barpeta district, Mahiruddin passed his Class 10 examination in 1980 and joined the Indian Army in 1986. He retired in August 2004 as a Havildar. His last posting was at the Field Ordinance Depot of the Indian Army at Bathinda, Punjab.
"This is illegal and there is something seriously wrong. We are seeking legal help in this regard. However, it is very hurting and shocking that we are subjected to such humiliation after service in a force like the Indian Army," said Mahiruddin on Saturday.
He said his wife Husniara is the daughter of Sarbesh Ali, a resident of Khablarbhita village in the same district. "She was born in 1972 and her father's name figured in the voter's list of 1966 bearing serial no 659," he said, terming the notice gross injustice.
"While one of my brothers has worked as Assistant Sessions Judge, another brother is working in BSNL. If I am not an Indian citizen, how can I join the Indian Army? The Army recruitment rules are so strict that they would not allow any non-Indian to join the service," he said, expressing his dissatisfaction.
In October this year, a Foreigners' Tribunal in Kamrup district of Assam asked a retired JCO of the Indian Army to prove his citizenship, much to the embarrassment of the police and the Tribunal.