Members of Bhattadev Jyoti Sangha protest at Dispur Last Gate on Thursday demanding establishment of Bhattadev University. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, March 9: Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia has written to Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Ajit Singh seeking free legal aid for underprivileged people who are fighting cases in the foreigners tribunals so they are not declared foreigners ex parte.

“As per guidelines of the National Legal Services Authority, necessary legal services may be provided to the poor and unlettered procedee through the State Legal Services Authority and District Legal Services Authority,” Saikia wrote in his recent letter to Justice Singh. “The learned tribunal may be directed to appoint an amicus curiae, if the procedee is not represented by any advocate,” he added.

Saikia wrote the letter to Justice Singh after a team of the Congress legislature party visited detention camps at Kokrajhar and Goalpara recently.

He said many people who have documentary proof of being Indian citizens have been declared foreigners by the tribunals.

There were allegations that many people were declared foreigners ex parte by the tribunals as they cannot afford to engage an advocate and since they were unlettered they cannot properly place their case before the tribunals.

A few days ago, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) legislator Aminul Islam had lashed out at the members (judges) of foreigners tribunals for “arbitrarily declaring” Indian citizens as illegal migrants.

Islam had claimed that out of the 125 women languishing in the Kokrajhar detention camp after being declared as illegal migrants, 112 are Indian citizens.

In his letter, Saikia mentioned that a D-voter, Roshmiara Begum, was sent to the Kokrajhar camp after she was declared an illegal migrant by a tribunal.

“Roshmiara Begum was declared an illegal migrant despite the fact that her siblings have their names in the voter list and are employed in government service, which has evoked serious reactions in the state. Earlier, a freedom fighter from Barak Valley, Prafulla Chandra Saha, was served a notice by a tribunal suspecting him to be an illegal migrant,” Saikia said in his letter, expressing concern over such incidents.

News Source: The Telegraph