Nibaran and Avinash Biswas, sons of a former Azad Hind Fauj rifleman, had never thought in their wildest imagination that authorities of independent India would one day cast doubts on their citizenship.

The Biswas brothers, of Karaiguri under Uttar Dimoria mouza in Sonapur circle of Kamrup (metro) district, were declared “doubtful voters” in 1995. They won the case in 2010 at a foreigner’s tribunal here.

In 2015, both Nibaran, 59, and Avinash, in his late sixties, had applied for inclusion in the NRC being update in Assam to detect and deport “foreigners”. Their names were, however, put on hold from the final draft of updated NRC, published on July 30, as they had once been declared doubtful voters.

“It was tough for us before we won the case. Despite our father’s service in Azad Hind Fauj under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the authorities branded us doubtful voters. We spent Rs 20,000 on our case. My brother and I do petty work, as small time farmer and petty wage labourer, to sustain a living. It was difficult but we had to fight to clear our names. We did so with the limited resources at our disposal. We are not refugees. We have our father’s Azad Hind Fauj identity card. Besides, we have the voter list of 1965 as legacy document,” said Nibaran.

The Azad Hind Fauj service card issued to Ramani Mohan Nomo (he later changed his surname to Biswas), who had enrolled in Netaji’s army in his early thirties, says he was in service from January 14, 1943, to November 18, 1946. As a member of the Fauj, Nomo had taken part in missions in Burma against the British.

“We used to boast about our father’s link with Azad Hind Fauj but everything fell apart when we were declared doubtful voters. It was quite embarrassing for us. The declaration came out of the blue. The authorities did so without proper investigations. We were not even served a notice,” Nibaran said.

However, there is still hope for the Biswas siblings. They can get their names included in the NRC during the ongoing claims and objections process.

“The new form has given us hope of inclusion in the NRC. The authorities should have at least asked us on what basis we were declared doubtful voters in the first place. We have spoken to the booth-level officer at the local NRC Seva Kendra,” Nibaran said.

The siblings will fill up the “updation of NRC claim form for inclusion by correction in identification as doubtful voter (DV), declared foreigner (DF) or case pending at Foreigner’s Tribunal (PFT) or their descendents” on Thursday with the help of a local schoolteacher, as they are not educated enough to do so on their own. They hope it will restore not only their citizenship but also their respect.

The final draft NRC had excluded 40 lakh people. Two of Nibaran’s four children — a son and a daughter — have their names in the draft NRC. Avinash has no children.