THE INTERNET WAS FLOODED with memes and erupted in serious discourse after a senior official from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that the Indian passport is a "travel document," not a "proof of citizenship." The statement, released on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, later led several social media users to ask, "What proves your Indian citizenship?"

While this question remains a topic of discussion, an India Today report highlighted the case of a man from Assam who was declared a foreigner despite submitting 15 documents to prove his Indian citizenship. On July 1, 2026, the Gauhati High Court declared the Assam man a foreigner after his documents failed to meet the legal standards required to prove that he is an Indian citizen. The man, who filed a petition regarding his citizenship, is reportedly a daily-wage labourer residing in Guwahati, Assam. 

See Also: Opposition Slams Centre Over Former Telegraph Editor R Rajagopal's Passport, Voter Roll Ordeal, Calls It ‘Slow Erosion of Citizenship Rights’

According to reports, he submitted several documents, including a 2017 school certificate, voter lists dating back to 1966, copies of the 1951 National Register of Citizens (NRC), a PAN card, an Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC), along with oral testimony from his father. A division bench including Justice Kalyan Sai Surana and Justice Shamima Jahan upheld the Tribunal's decision against the Assam man's petition. India Today did not reveal the identity of the petitioner in its report.

The bench stated, "The petitioner did not discharge his burden, as required under Section 9 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, to prove that he is not a foreigner but an Indian citizen." Under Section 9 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, the burden shifts to the person in question, who must prove their Indian citizenship to establish that they are not a foreigner.

What were the documents submitted by the Assam Man?

India Today reported that the Assam man had submitted 15 documents to the Foreigners Tribunal but still failed to prove his Indian citizenship. Some of the documents even mentioned the names of his grandparents and other family members. The petitioner also submitted a 1973 land purchase deed belonging to his grandfather, along with a written statement stating that he was born in 1988. The statement further mentioned that he was working as a daily-wage labourer and residing in Borbori, Guwahati, Assam.

Why did the Gauhati High Court dismiss the Assam man's petition?

The court pointed out that the NRC document submitted by the petitioner was a photocopy rather than the original 1951 NRC record. The document included an Image ID and the text "Generated by DLDD Version 6.0," indicating that it was a digital copy rather than an original record. The court emphasised that the NRC document submitted by the petitioner was not admissible as evidence.

Another issue with the documents submitted was discrepancies in the petitioner's age. For instance, one of his family members was recorded as 25 years old in the 1979 voter list and 29 years old in the 1989 voter list. Another issue arose when the petitioner's father failed to state the petitioner's exact age during his oral testimony. Despite submitting 15 documents, the Gauhati High Court upheld the Foreigners Tribunal's decision and dismissed the Assam man's petition declaring him a foreigner.

[VS]

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

Suggested Reading: