Another article demolishing this myth of illegal migration...
http://bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2006-08-29&hidType=OPT&hidRecord=0000000000000000125098
Thanks to Dipa Das Munshi- an MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) of West Bengal State of India
Tuesday August 29 2006 20:38:49 PM BDT
Zainal Abedin, Bangladeh
I have no room to convey my thanks and best wishes to Dipa Das Munshi, an MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) of West Bengal State of India. She through a letter written to the Chief Minister of West Bengal Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, not only uncovered the truth but also stood for humanity.
A copy of the letter was also sent to Indian Home Minister Sibraj Patil. In her letter she narrated how Indian Bengali speaking Muslim nationals are branded as Bangladeshi intruders who left West Bengal and reside in other States to earn their livelihood.
Then she mentioned a number of suggestions how to save these ill-fated Bengali-speaking Indians from human miseries caused by Indian law enforcers particularly Border Security Force (Anandbazar Patrika, Calcutta, 5 August 2006).
Dipa Das Munshi says, many Indians from West Bengal went to other parts of India in search of work, but local police often harass them branding and suspecting them as Bangladeshis. This type of harassment increased after serial bomb attacks on Mumbai commuter trains, she alleged. She said, these Indians hailing from West Bengal, due to a number of reasons, do not have their election identity cards or ration cards to prove their nationality. They can show nothing to the police, except their nationality certificates issued by their concerned 'Panchayet' in West Bengal. But the local police administration, in most cases, does not consider these certificates sufficient enough to accept them as Indian nationals.
Dipa Das suggested that the West Bengal Government should introduce 'labour immigration card' or any other identity card like this, so that the Indians of West Bengal can get rid of unnecessary police harassment and misery. She suggested the West Bengal government to communicate the issue to the chief ministers or the chief secretaries of those concerned States where sizeable Bengalis reside .
The government and the nationalist journalists, intellectuals, academics of Bangladesh for a long time continue their protest against the illegal and inhuman attitude and atrocities of Indian government.
The Bengali speaking Muslims are victimised as Bangladeshi intruders in so-called secular and non-communal India. They become the victims of 'push in' to Bangladesh. Many affluent and aristocratic Muslim families, due to the absence of justice and equal opportunities, lost everything and have become marginalised economically over the years in India. Now they work as mason, carpenter, porter, day-labourer, hawker, rickshaw-puller, tailor and petty vendor.
Most of the Muslims engaged in such odd jobs are scattered throughout India in search of work, as West Bengal itself has been marginalised economically. Most of these Muslims live in the slums of the large cities and ports. These Indian floating Muslims have-nots are Bangladeshis intruders to Indian intelligence agencies, police, and even policymakers. These Indian Bengali Muslims are caught in most inhuman manner from several parts of India and accumulated in Indo-Bangladesh border and pushed to Bangladesh territory.
The BDR (Bangladesh Rifles) personnel for obvious reason, do not welcome the Indian nationals to our territory and drive them away to 'no man's land' or Indian territory. These unfortunate Indians that include children, women and old, spend days under open sky amid rain, sun or storm. This human misery continues for years. But neither UN nor UNHCR nor human rights commission nor any NGO ever played minimum role to address the sorrows and sufferings of these tortured Muslims who are driven almost daily.
It is the official responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to raise the issue in all the international forums, including UNO. The UN may consider deploying international observers or monitors in Indo-Bangladesh border. They should interview even these ill-fated Muslims to which country they belong to — India or Bangladesh. If such interview or interrogation can prove that these Bengali speaking Muslims are Bangladeshis, Bangladesh without hesitation should accept them and rehabilitate them in Bangladesh. On the contrary if the result is opposite, India should stop this evil deed.
Let me convey my thanks again to Dipa Das Munshi for her just statement as well comprehending a human tragedy of her country. She initiated the most timely and courageous and human step by writing a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister. Time will say what step the Indian government takes in response her allegation . But the role that she played in ending the miseries of the Indian Bengali Muslims is undoubtedly unprecedented, commendable and praiseworthy. After this letter there remains no room for Indian government to push the Indian nationals to Bangladesh.
Zainal Abedin, Bangladeh
E Mail :
noazabd@gmail.com
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