Former Bangladeshi citizens, whose enclaves were incorporated in India in 2015 and who became Indians, have written to the Bengal government to allow them to change the name of their father in the teacher eligibility test (TET) application forms.

These citizens maintain that the residents of former Bangladeshi enclaves were forced to adopt “academic fathers” because of geographic hindrances and now want to enlist their “natural” father in the application forms.

Rahman Ali was born and brought up at Poaturkuthi village, which was a Bangladesh enclave till five years ago. Since the place was surrounded by Indian territory, Ali claimed that he had no options but to attend a primary school in India.

“There were no schools within walking distance (in Bangladesh then) and hence, I had to enrol myself at a nearby school at Khatmari (in India). For this, I had registered the name of my maternal uncle, Sabar Ali, as my father,” said Rahman. Sabar is a resident of Khatmari village in India.

Rahman has had his uncle registered as his father in all academic documents right up to his post-graduate certificates instead of his natural father Naskar Ali.

“This is the harsh reality of all residents of former Bangladesh enclaves that have been incorporated in India. We have two fathers, one an academic father and the other our natural father,” said Rahman.

Following the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) 1974 and Protocol of 2011, 51 erstwhile Bangladeshi enclaves in India and 111 erstwhile Indian enclaves in Bangladesh were transferred to the other country with effect from the midnight of July 31, 2015.

All 14,863 residents of the Bangladesh enclaves in India opted for Indian nationality.

Over the years, the former Bangladesh citizens have corrected anomalies in various government documents, including education certificates.

The problem with Rahman and 10 other TET applications — they are all applying for a government examination for the first time — stems from the fact that the TET exam applications were filled up in 2017.

“All my educational credentials right from secondary to post-graduation were corrected by May 5, 2018, but the problem is that I had applied for the primary TET examination on November 25, 2017, and hence, the name of the father registered in TET application form is wrong,” explained Rahman.

The Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) for primary school is scheduled for January 31, 2021.

Rahman and other youths from the erstwhile Bangladesh enclaves are worried that such a mismatch would pose problems for them in future.

On Monday, Rahman wrote to the secretary, West Bengal Board of Primary Education, seeking to change his father’s name in the TET application form and also the name of his village from Khatmari to his original village Poaturkuthi.

Rahman has also apprised Kanailal Dey, the district inspector of schools (secondary), Cooch Behar, of the matter.

“I have received an application. I will check the details of the document after which it will be sent to higher authorities for their decision,” said Dey.