Ansarul Hussain was marked as a ‘Doubtful Voter (D-Voter)’ and his name was dropped from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

*All names and personal details have been changed or beeped to protect the survivors’ identity.

Q- What is your name?

A- XXX.

Q- Where is your birthplace?

A- XXX.

Q- Can you recall any childhood memories from your childhood in XXX?

A- I can remember many things, I used to play Tanki bari, Gudu; I played balls with my friends.

Q- Do you remember your friends?

A- Yes, I used to roam to different places with them.

Q- When did you learn about NRC for the first time?

A- 6-7 years back I heard about it from people. 

Q- How many of your family member’s names didn’t appear in NRC?

A- 3 of my family members are left out.

Q- How did you learn that your name is left out from NRC?

A- I learnt about it from my elder brother. He told me that my name, your name and your sister in Law’s names are left out from NRC. 

Q- When did you learn that you are declared as a D-voter?

A- Most probably in 1997 or 1998. 

Q- Since then are you allowed to vote?

A- No, I can’t vote from then. As D was attached with my name I was not allowed to vote. 

Q- How do you feel as you are not allowed to vote?

A- What can be done, the thing which I am not allowed to do by the system, I can’t change that with thousands of efforts. Being a D-voter if I go for voting, then the officials may catch and harass me unnecessarily. 

Q- Have you encountered any misbehaviour from the NRC officials?

 A- No, no one misbehaved with me.

Q- What is your total expense on NRC?

A- At least Rs. 1000-1500.

Q- Which lawyer is helping you in your D-voter case?

A- Name of the lawyer is Mohibur. 

Q- Have you paid money to the lawyer?

A- I have paid Rs. 3500. Also I was exempted from the Lawyer fees.

Q- Why didn’t he take money from you?

A- Because I am poor. He thought that from where I shall give the money as I had no earning source. 

Q- How your life changed from the time when you were not declared as D-voter, at that time you were able to work outside, you had a proper earning source to the present time after you are declared as a D-voter when you are not able to work outside and you don’t have a proper earning source?

A- I can’t sleep at night; I have no proper earning source. I think so much about how I run my family. Where will I get the required money? After roaming the whole day outside, I cry at night. No one can work outside for earning. I don’t have a matured son who could have helped in earning money. One of my sons is 12 or 13 years old. I kept him in a clothes’ shop, where he is paid Rs. 1000 per month. The shopkeeper is also not sending him back to home as he says what he will do if you die, he will learn business here which will be helpful for his future. I am surviving with whatever the government ration I get, sometimes people ask me to help in buying goat, where I get Rs. 200-300. Thus I am passing time with very difficulties. Shopping or marketing has become difficult for me. 

Q- How was the Corona pandemic harmful to you?

A- That was really a very difficult time, we were not allowed to come outside, Police used to beat us harshly, we couldn’t go anywhere. 

Q- What about the foods?

A- We face a lot of hardship regarding foods; we had to hurry while marketing, and we had to return very fast after shopping for a few essentials.  We couldn’t roam freely outside on the roads. Sometime continuously for 2-3 days we had to remain hungry. I couldn’t buy the essential food items as I had no money. 

Q- Are you vaccinated?

A- Yes, I am vaccinated.

Q- Were you charged money for vaccination?

A- No, it was free.