From Stateless to Recognized: Indrajit Safi Officially Becomes a Nepali Citizen

Activist Indrajit Safi of Ganeshman Charnath Municipality-3 in Bharatpur, Dhanusha, has finally received his Nepali citizenship. After a prolonged struggle, Indrajit’s perseverance has paid off, granting him the long-awaited recognition as a citizen of his own country.

Indrajit, the sole Dalit engineer in his municipality, had acquired a degree in Civil Engineering from Kurukshetra University in Haryana, India. However, due to a lack of citizenship, his daily life had been burdened with numerous challenges. He was unable to secure employment, obtain a license from the Nepal Engineering Council, open a bank account, or even have a phone SIM card registered in his name. As a result, several years of his life were wasted, despite his engineering accomplishments in 2075.

While Indrajit’s mother holds Nepalese citizenship, and his father possesses birthright citizenship, the convoluted politics surrounding citizenship laws had deprived him and countless other young individuals of their rightful citizenship. After realizing that he is not the only one deprived of the citizenship of this country, he took the engineer’s certificate and started the fight for citizenship. He connected with other stateless youth across the country, organizing protests and demonstrations in prominent locations such as Maitighar in Kathmandu, outside the parliament building, Baluwatar, and the Rashtrapati Bhavan, all aimed at expediting the passage of the Citizenship Bill.

Finally, after a protracted battle, Indrajit’s efforts have borne fruit as he received his Nepali citizenship today. The Supreme Court played a vital role in facilitating this achievement by clearing the path for the implementation of the new Citizenship Act on June 22.

Indrajit also shared his happiness on social media. He expressed his joy and relief in a heartfelt post, accompanied by photos of himself and others proudly displaying their newly acquired citizenship certificates.

President Ram Chandra Paudel authenticated the bill to amend the Nepal Citizenship Act, 2063, on May 31. The Home Ministry June 2 had issued a circular to all district administration offices to distribute citizenship as per the amended Citizenship Act. The short-term interim order had stopped that.