Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the longstanding problem of “D-voters” (doubtful voters) in the state is close to being resolved, bringing relief to thousands of families who have lived for years under a shadow of uncertainty. Addressing the media on Wednesday, the Chief Minister revealed that the number of people, particularly Bengali Hindus, listed as doubtful voters has dropped dramatically over the past five years. According to Sarma, the figure has come down from nearly two lakh to about 25,000 today. “If the current pace continues, I am confident that the problem will be almost entirely resolved by next year,” he stated.The Chief Minister highlighted that many affected individuals have successfully proved their citizenship status in recent years. Most of them, he said, were able to establish their refugee background by producing 1971 refugee camp certificates and other relevant documents in tribunals and courts. “From what I have observed in the proceedings, I haven’t seen any Bengali Hindu being declared a foreigner recently,” Sarma remarked.
Underscoring the clarity provided by the judiciary, Sarma said: “Earlier, the situation was complicated and confusing, but now the courts have made it very clear—anyone who came before 1971 is 100 per cent Indian.” The category of “D-voters” was introduced by the Election Commission of India in 1997 to mark individuals whose citizenship was under question during the revision of electoral rolls. For many, especially in lower Assam districts, the label resulted in legal battles, social stigma, and the suspension of voting rights. Entire families were often left in limbo while they awaited the verdict of foreigners’ tribunals.
In Assam’s complex political and demographic history, the year 1971 holds a special significance. It marks the cut-off date set by the Assam Accord for detecting and deporting illegal migrants, a landmark agreement signed in 1985 following years of agitation. Sarma’s remarks reaffirm that individuals who entered India before this date, particularly those displaced during the Bangladesh Liberation War, will be recognised as Indian citizens without dispute. For Bengali Hindus, who have long struggled against allegations of being “outsiders” despite living in the state for generations, the Chief Minister’s statement comes as a reassurance. It also reflects a wider effort by the government to close one of the most contentious chapters of Assam’s citizenship verification process.