Two more persons have committed suicide in Assam, reportedly on being harassed and depressed on being declared foreigners, taking the total National Register of Citizens (NRC)-related suicides to 33. Samsul Hoque (46) and Abdul Jalil (35) took their lives after they found that the names of their wives did not appear in the final draft NRC, which was published on July 30. The incidents took place in Bagariguri under Sorbhog police station in Barpeta district of Assam.
Samsul Hoque, who committed suicide on November 14, was a daily wage agricultural worker. His family members and neighbours residents allege that he was frustrated, as the name of his wife Maleka Khatun had not appeared in the final draft. Said Shajahan Ali Ahmed, general secretary of the NGO Association for Protection of Indian Citizenship Rights, "Due to the rude behaviour of the officials involved in the NRC process and the absence of proper counselling, Samsul Hoque was pushed or compelled to commit suicide."
As for Abdul Jalil, who committed suicide on November 12, his neighbours allege, he took the extreme step after his the names of his wife and son -- Halima Khatoon (25) and son Hamidul (10) -- did not appear in the final draft. NRC's final draft, released on July 30, has found 2,89, 83,677 persons "eligible" for citizenship out of 3,29,91,384 applicants.
Names of 40,07,707 people were not included. Out of this, 37,59,630 have been rejected and the remaining 2,48,077 are on hold, assuming them as 'D' voters, declared foreigners or their descendants.
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