`Foreigner' kin refuse body.... Family reiterates citizenship demand , Paul kin seek Sarbananda Sonowal's intervention

Paul’s wife Balu Rani Paul and his sons Asish and Ashok at their residence at Alsinga village in Assam’s Sonitpur district ; Rokibuz Zaman

Rokibuz Zaman, TT, 17.10.19,  Guwahati: The family members of Dulal Chandra Paul on Wednesday reiterated that they would not accept his body unless he was declared an Indian and sought the intervention of the Assam home department, which is under chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

Paul, 65, a resident of Alisinga village in Sonitpur district, was declared a foreigner by a foreigners tribunal in 2017.

He was then lodged in Tezpur detention centre till he was admitted to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on September 28 with diabetes and heart problems. He died on Sunday morning. His body is still at the GMCH morgue.

Sonitpur deputy commissioner Manvendra Pratap Singh, superintendent of police Kumar Sanjit Krishna and Barchalla MLA Ganesh Kumar Limbu visited Paul’s residence and met his family members to convince them to accept the body.

Paul’s nephew Sadhan told The Telegraph, “Policemen had come on Tuesday night to get a form signed by us as part of the formalities to hand over the body. We did not sign. The form described that he was a ‘declared foreigner’ and left the address column empty. I said they should fill the address column first. Am I a fool? Why should I sign an incomplete form? They should send the body of a “foreigner” to another country. Why are they coming to us?”

He said the family was going to write to the chief minister. “As no one is helping us, we will write to Sarbananda Sonowal, who heads the home department. We have asked him to declare my uncle an Indian.”

Singh said, “Kumar Sanjit Krishna and Ganesh Kumar Limbu and I visited the residence of Paul and requested them to take the body. We tried to convince them. But we have not received any positive response.”

Singh assured that the administration would assist Paul’s family in every possible manner.

“We said the administration and the government will offer legal help to his children to get their names included in the NRC. But we can’t do much if they don’t cooperate with us. The family members have demanded we declare Paul an Indian but we are not the competent authority. Discussions are on to convince Paul’s family to accept his body,” he said.

Paul’s three sons have been left out of the NRC but his widow is in the final list.

The Bengali Youth Students’ Federation and All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) said they would fight together to ensure Paul was declared an Indian.

Paul’s second son, Ashok, 25, said: “We have all the documents to prove my father was an Indian. I told officials I would accept my father’s body only if they give me in writing that he was an Indian. The officials assured me but I have not received the letter yet. That’s why we have not accepted his body.”

Hrishikesh Goswami, press adviser to the chief minister, said it was a legal matter and it will not be right to comment on the issue. “It will invite contempt of court,” Goswami said.