By Hari Prasad Koirala
Urlabari, Nov 1: Batuli Majhi, who had migrated to Kanepokhari Rural Municipality-7 of Morang from Okhaldhunga via Birtamod to overcome extreme poverty, is 72-year-old but she has not received her citizenship certificate yet.
Her husband Shyam Bahadur Majhi, 73, made a lot of efforts to obtain his wife's citizenship from the government administration. The local ward office has been demanding a migration certificate and voter's ID, the Majhi family has not been able to produce the documents.

Batuli's friends and relatives in the village have been receiving social security allowance in every four months while she has to remain empty-handed as she does not have her citizenship certificate. Her husband and three children have already obtained their citizenship. "How is my wife not the citizen of this country?" questioned Shyam Bahadur.
Currently, the Majhi couple have been residing with their youngest daughter and son-in-law and even during old age, farming is their only source of income.

Shyam Bahadur's family has been residing in Kanepokhari-7 for the last 30 years. Everyone in his community including neighbours and relatives know very well that they are Nepali nationals. However, the Majhis are unaware as to why the government has been refusing to issue citizenship certificate to Batuli.
Their neighbour Kali Maya Tamang said, "Batuli would receive old-age and other allowances if the government provided citizenship to her. As neighbours, we are ready to lend any help to provide citizenship to her."
Tamang said that the concerned authority must provide Batuli with the citizenship certificate as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Mohan Prasad Adhikari, ward chair of Kanepokhari-7, said that they were unable to recommend the District Administration Office to issue Batuli's certificate due to the lack of required legal documents.
"As their neighbours are willing to testify as witnesses the process to issue citizenship to Batuli will begin after Tihar," said chair Adhikari.

He added that the citizenship could be provided by certifying her father's or brother's citizenship and her marriage with Shyam Bahadur. "The process is underway to provide citizenship to her in this way." Adhikari said.
However, Batuli said that the ward chair did not make efforts to issue her citizenship. "I have my husband's, brother's and children's citizenship certificates. So what is stopping them from issuing my certificate?" she questioned with teary eyes.

"Those having bighas of land, house and farm are collecting allowance quarterly. But people like us who have to struggle for a meal every day are considered ineligible to receive allowance despite being a Nepali," she complained.