Amzad Ali, declared foreigner by Assam govt, dies in detention centre

A 56-year-old Bengali-origin Muslim man, arrested in May during Assam’s crackdown on declared foreigners, succumbed to cancer while in detention center.

Amzad Ali, a resident of Rowmari village in Barpeta district of Assam, was arrested on May 28 and sent to the country’s largest detention facility, the Matia Detention Center.

“His health deteriorated during his stay in the camp. He was initially sent to the Goalpara Civil Hospital from where he was referred to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital on August 1,” an official at the detention centre told Scroll.in.

On August 11, his clinical reports confirmed he had cancer. According to the official, the doctors at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital told Amzad there was no cure or treatment, and he would receive care focused on easing his symptoms.

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During the 1997 voter registration roll in Assam, Azmad was tagged as a ‘D’ voter, i.e. dubious voter. By April 2021, he was declared a foreigner by a Foreigners Tribunal.

It should be noted that Assam is the only Indian state to have foreign tribunals (FTs). As of July 2024, the northeastern state has 100 active FTs.

These tribunals are set up to identify illegal foreigners in India. The officials hold the power to summon witnesses, examine them on oath, and require the production of documents to help decide if they are an Indian citizen or otherwise.

Azmad was unaware he was declared a foreigner by the government and came to know only at the time of his arrest. His family said that the tribunal dismissed evidence showing his and his parents’ names in voter lists dating back to the 1950s.

Azmad’s cousin, Abdul Jalil, wrote to the Goalpara deputy commissioner asking for his release due to his deteriorating health. However, his request was denied.

Azmad was admitted on September 11 to the State Cancer Institute in Guwahati, where he passed away eventually. He is survived by his mother, wife, three sons, and four daughters.

His death is the second reported at the Matia detention centre this year. In April, 42-year-old Md Abdul Motlib died while in custody in the largest detention centre of India.

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The Supreme Court had called the conditions of Matia detention centre “far from satisfactory” and asked the Assam government to improve the facilities within a month’s time, noting deficiencies in water supply, toilets, food quality, and healthcare.

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