With some initiatives of the people’s representatives, youths here have got citizenship, which they had been devoid of for years. This is an exemplary work of the Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City.
-Krishna Adhikari : Centre for Investigative Journalism-Nepal
Siblings Shiwani Singh and Diksha Singh of Nepalgunj Submetropolis-8 waited four years for the District Administration Office to give them citizenship certificates. Every time they went to the office, the chief district officer sent them back saying that they would not get the certificate until their disappeared father visited him. After four CDOs kept denying them citizenship, the case was taken to the court. On December 7, 2016, the Nepalgunj High Court (then appellate court) ruled that there was no reason to deny them citizenship, ordering the authorities to grant them the certificates as they had all the evidences. The CDO did not follow the order.
Shiwani Singh
Diksha Singh
After the local level elections were held, local governments were formed in villages. The Nepalgunj sub-metropolis got people’s representatives. Shiwani and Diksha have recently got their citizenships with their help.
Besides the two siblings, seven other youths of Nepalgunj who had been denied citizenship for no apparent reason have also got citizenship certificates with cooperation from the elected representatives. The beneficiaries are Deepika Soni, Shakil Halwai, Aishwarya Rai, Samriddha Rai and Sushma Gupta, all residents of Nepalgunj.
When ward 8 Chairman Surendra Gupta Baishya coordinated in the case and provided recommendation on behalf of the local government, CDO Ramesh Kumar KC could not deny citizenship any longer. After the recommendation of the authorized representative of the local government, the recognition being needlessly denied by CDO KC was possible. “The ward office easily prepared the recommendation letter,” said Shiwani. “The recommendation made receipt of citizenship easy.” Besides the recommendation process, ward chairpersons had helped in other processes too.
Deepika Soni
When the court ruled that there was no reason to deny them citizenship, pressure had mounted on the authorities to issue the certificates. After that, the district administration office had said that the youths would get citizenship only after the recommendation of the ward chairperson, on-site study by police of the five, and attestation by two citizens by descent certified by 2006. The people’s representatives worked hard to meet the conditions that brought cheers to the face of the youths.
Shivani, who got citizenship after four years of tireless effort, shared her happiness saying: “I did not get a job earlier in the lack of citizenship paper. Now I work at a private school.” The BBA graduate from Brightlind College in Nepalgunj said, “Citizenship has made things easier.”
Diksha, who was unable to, or faced hassles in, cast her vote, to open a bank account, to apply for jobs and even to get a SIM card, is now preparing for the Public Service Commission examinations. “I had doubt if I would be able to land a government job in the absence of citizenship,” she said, adding that she has got more confident now. The court issued a verdict on December 7, 2016, ordering the authorities to give the siblings, Shiwani and Diksha, citizenship certificates but they got the paper only on May 18, 2018.
Aishwarya Rai
Another girl of Nepalgunj sub-metropolis-8, Deepika Soni also got her citizenship certificate on the recommendation of the ward chairperson. Deepika, who got her citizenship card on April 16, said: “They readily heeded the recommendations of the elected ward chairperson and members. Differences were seen when people’s representatives were present and absent.” She added that the ward officials prepared verification and recommendation letters by assembling her neighbours.
Unemployed even after completing her staff nurse course in the lack of citizenship card, Deepika now works at the Nepalgunj Medical College Teaching Hospital. “Without citizenship, I had not got licence from the Nursing Council,” she said. “Work was expedited after I got citizenship.”
Sambriddha Rai
The Banke District Administration Office, which flouted the Nepalgunj High Court’s order to grant citizenship, has stated that Deepika was recognized as a Nepali citizen on the basis of the police office’s field report, ward office’s recommendation and the court’s mandamus order. The High Court’s mandamus dated June 31, 2017 has been mentioned in the certificate issued to Deepika. It took 11 months until April 16, 2018 for the order to be implemented.
Ward-8 Chairman Vaishya said he regretted that people of his ward had to wait long for citizenship despite the court order. “There was no reason for them not to get citizenship,” he said. “From the ward office, I worked as far as possible. I’m happy now.”
After coordination by the respective ward chairpersons, siblings Aishwarya Rai and Samriddha Rai of Nepalgunj sub-metropolis-12, Sushma Gupta of Ward 19 and Kashkil Halwai of Ward 4 also got citizenship certificates. Ward 12 Chairman Buddhisagar Subedi said, “Following the written order of the court to issue citizenship, the district administration tried to enquire them. They got citizenship after we provided attestation and recommendation by finding facts through a visit to their neighbourhood.”
The court issued its ruling on June 14, 2017 ordering citizenship for Aishwarya and Samriddha. While Aishwarya got citizenship on May 27, 2018, Samriddha received it on June 19. The district administration had denied her citizenship questioning the citizenship of her father Ranbahadur Rai, who died when Aishwarya was one-year-old. Following the court order, the duo got the citizenship by descent.
Sushma Gupta
Sushma Gupta of Basudevpur in Nepalgunj had to let go of a job she had landed in the absence of citizenship. “The job slipped out of my hand in the race for citizenship,” she said. “I run a tea stall in the village now.” Sushma expressed her happiness that she would now be able to enjoy the opportunities and facilities provided by the state like any other citizen. The court had ordered citizenship for her on November 8, 2017 but she got the citizenship on May 8, 2018.
The court had ordered citizenship for Shakil too on May 31, 2015 but he received the certificate only on May 7, 2018. Shakil said that his desires for acquiring mobile SIM card in his name and opening a bank account had been fulfilled.
Nepalgunj ward 20 Chairman Krishna Karki said that the elected representatives were committed to providing all Nepali residents with citizenship as per the law. “People have faced hassles in several cases,” said Karki. “Henceforth, we’ll work in coordination with staff at the citizenship section in order to mitigate public complaints.” Other wards of Nepalgunj are also helping people, who were denied citizenship card due to “defiance” of the district administration office without valid reason.
Sakil Halwai
Nepalgunj sub-metropolis chief Dr Dhawal Shumsher Rana had also helped youths, who had been stateless for long, to get citizenship. “With an aim for all Nepalis meeting the legal requirements to get citizenship easily, we’ve been providing recommendations and coordinating with the local administration.
As a result, city residents got citizenship certificate with ease,” said Rana. Stating that there were several complaints of people not getting citizenship despite completing all the processes, he said he would now coordinate with the chief district officer on the matter.
Advocate Sunil Shrestha, who provides legal assistance in need to those seeking citizenship, said more people were in the process of claiming citizenship with help from the people’s representatives. The court has ordered the authorities to provide citizenship also to Jarra Shesh of Nepalgunj-7, Ganesh Sunar of Khajura and Arjun Khatik of Karkado in Nepalgunj-24. They are in the process of acquiring citizenship too.
