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আইনজীবী নেই, নাগরিকত্বের প্রমাণ দিতে পারলেন না ১০২ বছরের চন্দ্রধর দাসLawyer absent:102 year Chandradhar Das to appear again on 14 September
Harassment at its peak
একতরফা রায়ে বিদেশি বলে ঘোষণা হলে পুলিশ তাঁকে গ্রেফতার করে ডিটেনসন ক্যাম্পে পুরে দেয়। আপিল মামলা করে চন্দ্রধরবাবুর পরিবার। তিনমাস জেলে থাকার পর বয়সের কথা বিবেচনায় রেখে গতমাসে তাঁকে জামিনে মুক্তি দেওয়া হয়। আজ ছিল প্রথম শুনানি। চন্দ্রধরবাবু ভোরে ঘুম থেকে উঠে মেয়ে নিয়তি রায়কে নিয়ে আমড়াঘাট থেকে শিলচর চলে আসেন। সকাল ৯টা থেকে ট্রাইব্যুনালের বারান্দায় শুয়ে থাকেন। প্রখর রোদে বেলা ১২টা পর্যন্ত অপেক্ষার পর জানতে পারেন, আইনজীবী না থাকায় শুনানি হবে না আজ। 
গত তিনমাস থেকে এই ট্রাইব্যুনালে সরকারি আইনজীবী নেই। সদস্য সুনীল কর্মকার নিজেই কিছু কিছু মামলা এগিয়ে নিয়ে গেলেও অধিকাংশ ক্ষেত্রে সাধারণ মানুষকে ফিরে আসতে হয়। তাতে ক্ষোভ প্রকাশ করেন নিয়তিদেবী। তিনি বলেন, এই বয়সে একজনকে ৪০ কিলোমিটার দূর থেকে নিয়ে আসা যে কী কষ্টকর। এত সময় গাড়িতে বসে থাকা তাঁর জন্য যে কত যন্ত্রণার! এর ওপর আমরা গরীব মানুষ। একবারের ভাড়া জোটানোই আমাদের জন্য মুশকিল। 
It was indeed shocking news for many when 102 years old Chandradhar Das, a resident of Borai Basti under Dholai constituency in the Amraghat area of Cachar district and who possessed a citizenship card of 1966, was declared foreigner by an ex parte judgement of the tribunal on 2 January. Ultimately, Das was put in the detention camp on 31 March after he failed to appear before the tribunal court and furnish the required documents to prove his Indian citizenship.
The old man inflicted with multiple old age ailments like hearing disability and memory loss spent nearly three months in the detention camp inside Silchar Central Jail before being moved to Silchar Medical College owing to his deteriorating health. The feeble Chandradhar Das was later on granted bail on humanitarian ground. Chandradhar Das was asked to appear before the Foreigners’ Tribunal on 14 August to prove his citizenship.
Today was the first hearing of the appeal suit filed by Chandradhar’s family. He woke up early in the morning and reached Silchar along with his daughter Niyoti Roy. On reaching Silchar at 9 AM, he lied down on the verandah of the Tribunal-6. The scorching heat made his condition further worst. After waiting for upto 12 noon, he came to know that as the Government Pleader was absent, so the hearing will not take place. 
The fact of the matter is that there has been no Government Pleader in this Tribunal since the last 3 months. Though Sunil Karmakar, member of the Tribunal worked hard to streamline some of the cases, but it was not possible on his part to proceed further in the absence of the Government Pleader. 
His daughter Niyoti Roy has said that her father Chandradhar Das has been asked to appear before the Foreigners Tribunal on 14 September to prove his citizenship, yet again. Niyoti feels it is inhumane to call an ailing old man repeatedly. While describing their ordeal, Chandradhar’s daughter said that her father with his ailing health finds it very difficult to travel 80 kilometers twice a month or more to appear before Foreigners’Tribunal 6 at Silchar from their house. They are also not financially sound to book a cab every time. So they are bound to resort to public transport to reach the court. Niyoti Roy, further stated that the health of her father deteriorates every time he come back from court, mostly due to the pressure of the journey. 
It has been aptly remarked that “Justice delayed is justice denied.” Well, this saying is apt in the case of this old man, a victim of judicial delay. Only time can testify the fate of people like 102 years old Chandradhar Das. 
