Schools and madarsas in the district are nowadays teeming with alumni who are trying to obtain school leaving certificates in the wake of panic created by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens.

Riyazul Sheikh, who works with a multinational company and posted in Sector V at Salt Lake near Calcutta, has come home here after 20 years.

He needs to rectify his surname in the Madhyamik certificate as it does not match with the surname in his voter identity and Aadhaar cards.

“My office had recently asked all its employees to submit the certificates of board exams. This made me visit Malda after 20 years. When I collected the certificate, I found that the surname is different. I have spoken to the school authorities who have asked me to visit the board’s office. I need to get it done because if the NRC is introduced in the state, I might find it difficult to prove that it is my certificate as the surname is different,” said the youth who was spotted at a madarsa in Kaliachak 2 block.

Every day, scores of people are visiting the schools and madarsas where they studied decades ago and trying to obtain school leaving certificates. The certificate, they feel, can help them prove their citizenship and would also be of use in case they need to make any rectification in their identity proofs.

As the former students are swarming into the schools and madarsas, the authorities are busy searching for old registers.

“It is an uphill task to find old registers and verify particulars of former students who left schools in the early seventies or late eighties. These days, I have to issue 10 to 15 school leaving certificates every day to former students of different ages,” said Hariswami Das, headmaster of a school in Englishbazar block.

Mahibar Rahaman, headmaster of Mohammadia High Madrasah, said: “Around 100 to 150 persons are visiting our madarsa every day to obtain school leaving certificates or a written statement in the school’s letterhead on their other particulars, like date of birth, guardian’s name. A special counter had to be kept open to entertain the pleas of these people. They fear any minor error may exclude their names from the NRC.”

Sirajul Islam, headmaster of a high madarsa in Kaliachak 2 block, said he could not take even a day’s leave in past one month.

“I had to go to my institution even on Sunday. Locals and others are so frightened that they are getting minor mistakes amended showing their primary school certificates or Aadhaar cards,” Islam said.

Abdul Hannan, a man in his early fifties, was found at his alma mater in Kaliachak.

“As per our land deed, my father’s name is Mohammed Abdul Rahim. But in my school certificates and all other documents, the name is mentioned as Abdul Rahim. I am trying to get these certificates and documents as land deed is an important document to prove citizenship,” said Hannan.