No way to stop refugee Influx From Bangladesh Palash Bisaws (You may publish the matter if it seems relevent any way) contact:Palash biswas Gostokanan, sodepur, Kolkata-700110,India. Phone:033-25659551
Rs.13.34 billion Project for fencing on Indo-Bangladesh border sanctioned.Illegal migration of Bangladesh nationals into India is a cause of great concern and vitally affects the security interest of the country. The continuous and sustained illegal migration also affects the demographic composition of population, especially in the neighbouring States and gives rise to social tensions. With this in view, the Government of Inida have decided to fence the entire Indo- Bangladesh border. Meanwhile the government of India has got the citizenship act, 1955 revised with the objective of deporting two corore illegal migrants, most of which belong originally to bangladesh. It is questionable, why the refugees rehabiliated in fifties and sixties in UP, Uttaranchal, Assam, Dandyakaranya project covering Chhattisgargh, Orrissa and Andhra, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajsthan, tamilnadu and elsewhere are still deprived of citizenship for almost five decades. While the citizenship act, 1955 allowed citizenship by birth, why the students belonging to the refugee community have not to be considered as Indian citizens. Since, the genuine citizens and the illegal migrants may not be distinguished as the govt.of India and different states and the ruling parties countrywide, have not taken any initiative to screen the genuine citizens, the problem has become so complex. The new citizenship enacted and the proposed fencing on border are not enough to stop the influx of refugees across the border. In West Bengal only, the election commission has deleted over 13 lac names from the voter list as the concerned people could not prove their Indian citizenship. Thousands were arrested and lacs were absconding before the 2006 Assembly Elections. what happened? How many illegal migrants have been deported after such a high profile administrative exercise? The answer is non. The ruling left front has transformed itself in a protection umbrella. So each the case in every other state. The election commission routine exercise has to be repeated in Uttarancjhal and Uttarpradesh in the next Assembly elections and the results would be the same.Everywhere, the ruling parties use the refugees as mobile and solid votebank. Thus the genuine partition victims as well as the genuine citizens have to be harrassed enmasse to create the cover for the illegal migrants countrywide. It is better to grant Indian citizenship to all refugees rehabiliated in different states without any precondition. Then only, physically you may come to know the real number of the illegal migrants and think any majorto deport them. Again, the point is to be noted that there had been no official refugee policy for those coming from east Benagal, either in centre or the states. There had been hardly any diplomatic or biliteral attempt to stop the influx of refugees across the border. More over, until and unless, the prosecution of minorities in bangladesh comes to an end, it is quite impossible to stop the influx ofrefugees. It is a great irony that the govt.of india and different states have been a total failure in affairs of border security and illegal migrants overtwo corore have to be deported.It has to be understood that brutal atrocities, state sponsored discrimination, xenophobia and social divide have threatened the very fabric of minority community in Bangladesh. Hundreds of thousands of minority have fled out of the country. In this chaos, their children are left most vulnerable. Some becomes victims to trafficking whereas some end up in brothel. Bangladesh has completely failed to protect its minority communities and its Governments have been systematically perpetrating crime against humanity/ethnic cleansing against them violating all International rules. The situation is further aggravated by lack of good governance. Remote villages where criminals prowl through for next victims, there, children especially girls are increasingly becoming victim of brutal gang rape.While some escape out of the country with their families, some ends up kidnapped or abandoned due to harsh ground realities.These little hearts have no place to go and no body to seek help. The prejudice in domestic law and lack of government support for minority children are increasingly becoming noticeable in the country. No body was accounted for the massacare of three million human beings in the East Pakistan, which India had the obligation to do so, as was the allied forces in Germany after WWII. Although a war was won but in no time the victory was transformed into colossal shameful defeat. In the history, that war in 1971 would not be remembered more than a third world battle because of the third world standard of the leaderships of the biggest third world country in this earth. incidences or there are some reasons behind the brutal murders of these three leaders? The circulatory nature of these illegal migrants inthe border area has resulted in dual citizenship of these migrants.Different political parties at different periods gave illegal migrants protection due to which local administrations could not impose strict law and order. Illegal migrants are enrolled in voters list and used as vote banks. Indian politicians have often therefore, encouraged Bangladeshi migration. It is now almost impossible to separate them from India citizens. The main antisocial activities illegal migrants are involved in include smuggling, robbery and associated crime, prostitution, beggary, and trafficking in women and children. On behalf of 20 million East bengal refugees coming over to India in different dates and phases since 1947 partition and riots over there awaiting citizenship and rehabilitation and even minimum human rights including that of matribhasha and reservation, in different states of India, submitted herewith some views and suggestions. Views and comments 1. That is evident from the statement of object and reasons of the bill given by Shri Lk Adwani, home minister of India that the bill has been mooted with the main object of preventing grant of Indian Citizenshipto illegal migrants; grant of dual citizenship to foreigners of Indian origin and compulsary registration with issue of National identity card for all citizens of India. 2.That it appears from the insertion illegal migrant in the bill that the central govt. wants to make all types of illegal migrants including East Bengal Refugees of minority communities in india, who have mostly been compelled to come clandesinely , inelligible for registration as Citizenof india U/S 5(1)(A)/5(1)(C)of the citizenship act, 1955 and therefore liable to be adopted to their counties of origin. Although it is an attempt in right direction in dealing with anti social, subversive and terrorist foreign elements, it will put millions of Indian patriots and freedom fighters of Eastbengal refugeesof minority communities in India awaiting citizenship and rehabilititionin alarm,sever grief and tension. By inserting the word illegalmigrant in section 5 of the existing citizenship act, 1955,an abortiveattempthas perhaps been madeby the centre to validate the questionable executive order n.26011/16/71- 1c dt. 29.11.1971 issued by ministry of home affairsafter the creation of BanglaDesh in 1971. the said circular suddenly withheld, bannedgrant of citizenship and refugee benefits to all East bengal refugees of minority communities coming from Bangladesh. The said circularwas issued immorally, illegally, in breach of trust/pledge and in violation of fundamental rightsof minorites of Bangladesh/ Pakistan to come over to india and enjoy the fruits of independence gauaranted bythe partition and independence documents. It is also violation of international laws for refugees and the un charter on rights of refugees. 3. that the proposal for compulsary registration of all citizens and issues of National Identity Card to them with a view to screening out and identifyingthe foreignersin india is a lofty idea and can be made meaningful and workable only when Bangladesh/ Pakistani refugees of minority communites are simultaneously granted National Identity Cards. Suggetions Special provisions should be made to safeguard the rigths as well as the citizenship of those refugees who are resettled all over India after partition. The flaw of refugees should be chequed immidiately. and until the atrocities agnaist minorities beyond border stop it is next to impossible. Specific provisionbe made in the bill for Bangladeshi/pakistani refugees of minority communities staying in India continuously for registration as migrants. So the tortured ones may be saved. All refugees rehabiliated all over india must be registered as Indian citizens s they hold permanent addresses and property, ration card and voting rights for generaations. Bangladeshi politicians, however, insist the recent spike in violence is more political than religious in nature, and that the rising anti-Indian feeling is fuelled by India's 'bullying tactics' like erecting the fence and its 'baseless charges' against Bangladesh. In this current environment of highly intense anti Bangladesh and anti refugee tension highlighted in recent terrorist events in India, we Indians tend to lose sight of other past moments of violence involving the formation of nation states and ethnic genocides which have altered histories, politics and cultures inthis part of the world. Communities in Punjab as well Bengal have a divided geography and divided history with painful heritage. The nation has forgotten the partition victims so easily.Events before and after 1947 when two of the largest forced migrations in the world occurred whose dangerous consequences are still unfolding. We forgot that the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947 was marked by the partition of the subcontinent and transfer of populations on the basis of two major religions Hinduism and Islam spelling out unprecedented violence, expulsion and exodus. 1948 saw the expulsion of Palestinians in the cause of a Zionist Israel. The Palestinians currently constitute the largest group of displaced persons internationally with no right to return, and in the Indian context, the state of Pakistan again subdivided into another nation state of Bangladesh, involving massive violence and displacement. Apart from the longstanding worry of over massive illegal migration from Bangladesh, the main Indian concerns include: rebels from northeast Indian states who operate with impunity from Bangladeshi territory the growing influence and activities of Pakistan's Inter- Services Intelligence and Al Qaeda in Dhaka, Rapidly rising fundamentalism and anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh Increasing cross-border traffic in drugs, arms, women, children, and cattle.The mushrooming madrassas springing up along the border, many funded by Pakistani and Saudi Arabian 'charities' Repeated skirmishes between India's Border Security Force and the Bangladesh Rifles over disputed territory and the latter's attempts to stop the fencing work being undertaken by India Dhaka's perpetual refusal to grant transit rights and permission to Indian companies like Tata to set up shop there. Dhaka meets all these charges with staunch denial. In turn, it accuses India of bullying its smaller neighbour, interfering in its internal affairs, starving it of water and sheltering Bangladeshi criminals. While depicting the tragedy of the uprooted, we have to keep in mind the broader issue of restructuring of public and private social spaces in post-partition Kolkata and West Bengal. We have discussions, reminiscences and literary works on the re-shaping of the Bengali middle class Hindu homes as well as the public world of workplaces and politics, but no documentation is available about those dispalaced persons, rehabilated or non- rehabilated in other parts of this India. The Population Studies Unit conducted a qualitative survey during 2002-03 on the effects of undocumented migration from Bangladesh to West Bengal. In this study undocumented migrants are defined as those who have entered West Bengal without valid documents in post-1971 period.Undocumented migration from Bangladesh has contributed to increased fertility and child population in West Bengal due again to a number of factors: The study reveals that though undocumented migration from Bangladesh to West Bengal has been a continuous process, the peak period was during and after the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. Immediately following Mujibur Rehman?s assassination on 15 August 1975, too, migration took place extensively. The main reasons for this massive migration during the period of 1971-80, as discerned from the multiple responses of different professionals are: liberation war in Bangladesh, Mujibur's assassination in Bangladesh, political instability in Bangladesh,lack of safety and security for Hindu families mainly due to war,religious issue and communal tension affecting mainly Hindus duringregime of Ziaur Rahman (1975-81). Economic depression, lack of industrialisation, social insecurity, demographic explosion, political instability, the domination of religious fundamentalists in Bangladesh, cultural similarity, and homo-ethnic climate in West Bengal are the main motivating factors behind the migration phenomenon. The continuous inflowof migrants has also aggravated the unemployment problem in the unorganised informal sector. Deforestation, land grab, trade grab, illegal occupancy of pavements and railway platforms by undocumented migrants are creating pressure on natural resources. Pre-existing slums have also grown out of proportion. See the site: http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook) where the exact population in July 2002 in Bangladesh was shown to be 133,376,684 and religious distributions were: Muslim 83 %, Hindu 16 %, Other 1% (1998%). Quite a large number of Hindu populations, aren't they ? I am not sure if any country or even UN has such comprehensive data about this world, and I never had any doubt or question about their authenticity. The other site: ( http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/modern/hindu_bangla.html), provides statistics on the number of Hindus massacred in the then East Pakistan in 1971, to be exact 2.47 millions. This figure is calculated based on many international investigations, is close to three million as claimed by many peoples including the post independent Government in Bangladesh. Why then this game to downplay the numbers of Hindus in Bangladesh (both inhabitants and those killed in 1971)? Very often inhuman methods are applied to conduct systematic ethnic cleansing; different approaches are taken for this purpose. Occupation of their properties in the pretext of various laws to force the Hindus to sell their properties at a very cheap price which in turn also forces them to flee the land. Hindu business communities and other professionals are the groups subjected to continuous pressure mainly by the whole Government machinery (you may find some extraordinary exceptions).Quite often Hindu young girls, even minors are kidnapped and forcefully converted and married to Muslims in connivance with security, administrative and judicial machineries. To violet and dishonour Hindu women is also a part of the strategy, as instructed in the Quran (considered as an additional key to the heaven although that is already exclusively granted to the Muslims). Continuous pressure to the Hindu community by dishonouring their women folk is part of the whole strategy ( http://www.janakantha.com October 12, 2002). One never hears any justice is brought upon those who rape the Hindu women in Bangladesh (many such crimes go unreported because of social implications and instead they prefer to migrate to India). Since the security and administrative apparatus are almost completely devoid of Hindus, these peoples enjoy all opportunity to terrorise the Hindu civilians, by abusing, harassing, raiding their homes, severe torture without any reason, sometimes even selective murder. These are done to generate terror in the hearts of Hindus, to force them to leave their homes, more or less the way the prophet used to do to the infidels (even during the present military operation several Hindus were murdered in the city of Dhaka, quite unusual in terms of number and timing). The sufferings may not end there in Bangladesh, their last possessions can be taken away even in the Indian side by threatening these helpless and defenceless civilians of all ages to be sent back to Bangladesh. Very often entire families are sent to jails in India (violating International laws. India had even the legal responsibility to evacuate non-Muslims from Pakistan according to the statute of partition /independence in 1947), and continues the endless agony of these human beings. A very large number of human beings have been subjected to continuous atrocities and crimes are being perpetrated against them during the last 55 years. This is only comparable to what was done to the Jews during WWII. All the three countries, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India are directly involved to this colossal human suffering in the modern history of mankind. Palash Biswas Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata-700110, India. Phone:033-25659551.
