Hindu refugee influx from Bangladesh fuels tension in West Bengal

The birth of Bangladesh in 1971 opened the floodgates of refugee influx into India. The 2,203-km border manned by the BSF has not helped prevent the continuing influx of refugees whose numbers have swelled to 7 million, mostly Muslims, in West Bengal alone. The proclamation of Islam as the state religion of Bangladesh in June last year has spurred yet another exodus - this time of Hindus.For the West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu who has brought a semblance of peace to Darjeeling, the sudden increase in the influx of Hindu refugees, means the ticking of yet another communal time bomb. The border districts like Murshidabad, Malda, West Dinajpur have become Muslim majority due to the influx over the years. The trickle of Hindu refugees now has naturally caused tension even though they are mostly moving towards the south districts like 24-Parganas and Nadia.But the secessionist organisations little the Bangaldesh Liberation Organisation (BLO) which has launched the Bangabhumi Andolan (movement for attaining homeland), and the RSS which has opened 80 units along the border, have been fanning the embers of communal hatred. On the other side of the border the Swadhin Bangabhumi Biplabi Parishad has also begun sowing the seeds of secessionism in the minds of Hindus who have panicked after the June proclamation. Border manning by the BSF has not prevented the flow of refugees. A senior officer in the Ministry of External Affairs admitted that the Hindu influx has gone up after Islam was proclaimed the state religion.Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made known his concern at the move when, while campaigning in the Northeast for the recent elections, he made a reference to the increasing "religious intolerance" in Bangladesh. Taking the hint, the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka. I.S. Chada, lambasted the Ershad Government for not providing protection to the 1.75 crore minority community.A.O.S. Dewan first secretary in the Bangaldesh High Commission in Calcutta, countered the allegation of religious intolerance: "In fact, Ershad's Government introduced the Hindu Kalyan Trust, Christian Welfare Trust and other such schemes to keep alive Hindu or other minority traditions and culture. The Hindu Kalyan Trust received 2 crore taka from the Government. Bangladesh has adopted Islam as state religion but it is not an Islamic republic."But refugees who have trudged along dangerous paths to reach Indian soil-and security-have shocking stories to recount. Says Montu Lal Biswas. 47. whose 23 bighas of land was forcibly taken over using fake deeds which were 'legalised'after Islam was proclaimed the state religion: "Hindus have no protection there."The same fear is echoed by Nripendra Godar, 27, who had four bighas of land in Shantipur village in Makshidpur upzilla. "Rich Musalmans kidnap Hindu women to keep as their mistresses. They tried to kidn ap my wife also." Godar left his village with his pregnant wife, put her in her father's house before setting out on the dangerous trek to India in January "to look for an alternate living".The tricle of Hindu refugees now has caused tension in the state. After looking the other way all these years the Indian administration has woken up to the fact that the porous border has become a major security threat."We are strengthening ourselves. It is very difficult to stop infiltration totally due to problems beyond our control," says Sankar Sen, BSF-inspector general. But despite an increase in BSF's operational strength on the border, they have actually detected and pushed back less infiltrators in 1988 compared to 1987.The only effort being made to keep track of the infiltrators is by the BLO. The anchalik committees or BLO camps set up by them all along the border maintains registers. Said Nirode Chandra Bala, block anchalik secretary at Duttaphulia on the border: "The number of Hindus who have so far crossed would be over 80,000.We are sending xerox copies of the registers to the Union Home Ministry. If India can look after the Tamils of Sri Lanka why not care for the Hindus of Bangladesh?" At most of the camp offices a queue of Hindu refugees forms whenever a bus reaches the particular village from the border areas.The authorities are however aware that the situation has to be controlled. Says the Deputy Inspector General of Police (border) R.C. Sharma: "Bangladeshis are treated like sons-in-law of our country. Since they are potential vote banks all the political parties maintain a passive attitude towards the infiltrators. But the communal peace in the state has already begun cracking.Last year we had the 'liberate Katra Masjid movement' in Murshidabad and with the Muslim League bent upon liberating 15 masjids in Bengal, one can only expect trouble." But the muslim leaders are adamant. Says A.K.M. Hassanuzman, Muslim League MLA: "Why should we not be allowed to pray in our mosques and how can we keep quiet when in Malda district a Hindu procession raised slogans like 'Quran chhodo ya Hindustan chhodo' (Either leave the Quran or leave the country)."With no real effort being made to turn back the refugees or increase policing on the border, fundamentalist organisations in Bangladesh trying to scare the minority Hindu populace, and secessionist outfits on both sides of the border reviving their activity, the security that the refugees came looking for may just explode in their faces.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Apr 15, 1989 00:00 IST--- ENDS ---

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Hindu refugee influx from Bangladesh fuels tension in West Bengal

Hindu refugee influx from Bangladesh fuels tension in West Bengal.

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