Now in their late forties, P. Gabriel and his sister, Josephine, have only vague memories of childhood in Malaysia as children of Indian origin coolie workers and the subsequent relocation to native Kozhinjampara in Palakkad district.
Thereafter, the siblings faced no question related to identity and nationality. Over the years, both of them fully integrated to the local environment and they were provided with ration card, Aadhaar card and voter identity card by the government agencies concerned.
Nominal agricultural workers, both of them and their families were living comfortably in Moonnekkar village at Karimba near here till a month ago when officials at the local passport processing centre raised objections regarding their nationality. Though the siblings have many government documents, they lack anything to prove their nationality. Since then, they are under the constant threat of deportation to Malaysia, a country that exists only in their scant memories about the stories narrated by their parents.
The Palakkad taluk officer has already directed them to return the Aadhaar and election identity cards immediately. Their names have been struck off from both ration card and voters’ list. On its part, the Union Ministry of Home has demanded a report from the District Police Superintendent about their origin and nationality.
“It was my passing mention about my birth in Malaysia to a passport officer during the interface for obtaining passport that landed us in deep trouble. Though born in Malaysia, we came to India as infants born to Indians and lived here as natives. There was no identity and nationality crisis at any point of time,’’ says Mr. Gabriel.
According to Ms. Josephine, she and her brother had found entry into the voters' list in 1983. They both have had ration cards since then. “We have no family links or relatives in Malaysia. As far as we are concerned, it is just an unknown foreign land,’’ she says. “We are from a lower income family. The same government that doubts our nationality had earlier provided each of us three cents of land to construct small houses. Now we both have families which need support,’’ she says.
With the removal from ration card, both the families are struggling to meet their daily food requirement. According to Mr. Gabriel and Ms. Josephine, their father Muthalaimuthu died several years ago. Their mother Shouri is now suffering from high level of dementia. Their family shifted to Moonnekkar from Kozhinjampara 43 years ago.
“It was only two days ago, Palakkad’s Lok Sabha member M.B. Rajesh visited us and promised steps to avoid deportation. We have faith in his assurance. Petitions have already been sent to President, Prime Minister, Home Minister and the Chief Minister seeking steps to continue our existence here,’’ said Mr. Gabriel.
