After a challenging three-year legal battle, Seje Bala Ghosh, a 73-year-old resident of Assam’s Bongaigaon district, has successfully confirmed her Indian citizenship.
Lt. Digendra Chandra Ghosh, her father, was a trusted comrade of the renowned revolutionary freedom fighter Chandra Sekhar Azad.
Seje Bala, the descendant of the freedom fighter, faced a challenging ordeal of substantiating her nationality when she received a notice from a Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT) in March 2020, incorrectly labelling her as an illegal migrant from Bangladesh.
Addressing the media, Seje Bala Ghosh mentioned, “I received the notice three years ago during the COVID period…two individuals visited my home, requesting my signature under the impression it was a government document, and I signed”.Additionally, she emphasized that she only discovered later, through her family, that the notice originated from the Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT).
Throughout the legal proceedings, a sequence of hearings ensued, accompanied by a thorough presentation of historical records validating her family’s residency in Assam prior to the crucial cut-off year of 1951.
The evidence presented comprised a Refugee Registration certificate, a passport, the 1951 National Register of Citizens (NRC), voter lists spanning from 1958 to 2020, a 1962 Donation Slip, and various certificates verifying her identity and lineage.
Despite facing a physical challenge with a broken leg, requiring her to attend court in a wheelchair, Seje Bala demonstrated resilience. On November 4, 2023, the Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT) rendered its decision, affirming the authenticity of her documents and formally recognizing her as not a foreigner.
The verdict not only restored her citizenship but also stood as a testament to her father’s legacy as a freedom fighter dedicated to India’s independence.
