Saturday, September 19, 2009
Bengali Refugee Problem and Minority Persecution in Bangladesh
Bengali Refugee Problem and Minority Persecution in Bangladesh
Indian holocaust My father`s life and time - Fourteen
Palash Biswas
Come Sunday, 12 th November. A seminar waits you which is organized
by Guruchand Sena Central committee in Shanti Ngar highshool, Palta,
a suburban station near Kolkata.You may have heared about Bangasena
which demands land from Bangladesh in accordance with the refugee
ratio. CAAMB (Campaign Against Atrocities on Minorities in
Bangladesh) is also active to highlight the cases of persecution of
minorities in Bangladesh. We read so many things in Mayer Dak
published from Kolkata. We sometimes visit the website of Human
Rights Comission For Bangladesh Minorities which quotes Bangla media
reports to highlight all the incidents involving Bangladesh
minorities.Now it is the turn of Guruchand sena. The agenda for the
seminar includes to important issues . First: Minority Persecution in
Bangladesh and second: The Citizenship Amendment Bill 2003 and the
following law.The speakers are well distingushed including a former
aditional cabinet secretary in government of India Bibhuti Bhushan
Nandi, a retired Major General KK Gangopadhyaya and the convenor of
CAAMB.
Dr Jagadish Haldar invites you all to join the seminar which begins
on 10 AM sharp. Dr Haldar is a very committed refugee leader
residing in Palta. He is very active and involved in mobilisation of
refugees in West Bengal. Dr Jagadish Haldar, Dr Birat Bairagya, Dr
Pushpa Bairagya, Dr Pushpa Roy and the organizors of the seminar
condemn the deportation drive launched by government of India armed
with the new Citizenship Act. At the same time they emphasize to stop
the refugee influx immediately for which the persecution of
Bangladesh minorities must stop.
Meanwhile in assam student bodies inspect Bangla border to detect
illegal ifiltrators cotrary to the AGP demand to grant citizenship to
all Hindu Refugees crossing the Border.According to print and
electronic media a team comprising members of the North East Students
Organisation (NESO), All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Tripura
Students Federation today inspected the Indo-Bangladesh border near
Tripura and expressed their resentment over the open and unprotected
border. NESO president Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya, Tripura Students'
Federation president Upendra Devbarma and AASU president Shankar
Prasad Roy during their visit saw that the border remained open
except in some areas where barbed wire fencing has started.
The team said that the Union Government has simply failed in
protecting the Indo-Bangladesh border. As a result, the porous
borders have encouraged countless Bangladeshis to enter the country.
Unless the border was sealed then the consequences of it would be
terrible, the three organizations warned.
Citizenship amendment Bill 2003 which was passed and the law is
enforced to evict all refugees crossing the border after 16th
December , 1971.
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.
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 other documents.
Gyanesh Kudaisya wrote in his article `DIVIDED LANDSCAPES, FRAGMENTED
IDENTITIES: EAST BENGAL REFUGEES AND THEIR REHABILITATION IN INDIA,
1947–79':The partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 was
followed by the forced uprooting of an estimated 18 million people.
This paper focuses on the predicament of the minority communities in
East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) who were uprooted and forced to seek
shelter in the Indian province of West Bengal. It considers the
responses of Indian federal and provincial governments to the
challenge of refugee rehabilitation. A study is made of the
Dandakaranya scheme which was undertaken after 1958 to resettle the
refugees by colonising forest land: the project was sited in a
peninsular region marked by plateaus and hill ranges which the
refugees, originally from the riverine and deltaic landscape of
Bengal, found hard to accept. Despite substantial official
rehabilitation efforts, the refugees demanded to be resettled back in
their "natural habitat" of Indian Bengal. However, this was resisted
by the state. Notwithstanding this opposition, a large number of East
Bengal refugees moved back into regions which formed a part of
erstwhile undivided Bengal where, without any government aid and
planning, they colonised lands and created their own habitats. Many
preferred to become squatters in the slums that sprawled in and
around Calcutta. The complex interplay of identity and landscape, of
dependence and self-help, that informed the choices which the
refugees made in rebuilding their lives is analysed in the paper.
Balbir K. Punj writes in his write up `Deluge from Bangladesh':A
recent statement in Parliament by the Union home minister on
Bangladeshi infiltration, and a news report in an otherwise "secular"
Hindi daily about the growing clout of illegal Bangladeshi resettlers
in Kishanganj parliamentary constituency of Bihar have once more
underscored the danger Indian civilisation faces, and the ostrich-
like response of the political leadership to this demographic
invasion.
Home minister Shivraj Patil, while speaking in Rajya Sabha on August
23, said that the Indian state could not distinguish between Hindu
and Muslim illegal immigrants from Bangladesh as "refugees"
and "infiltrators" respectively. Next day, there was another news
item tucked inside the pages of the Hindi daily Navbharat Times (Aug.
24) about the decisive influence of Bangladeshi Muslims, resettled in
Kishanganj, on electoral politics. Kishanganj, the sole Muslim
majority district of Bihar, is almost adjacent to Bangladesh. Muslims
form around 67 per cent of the district's population.
According to Navbharat Times, an unchecked influx of Bangladeshi
infiltrators in the post-1971 period has changed the demographic
character of the district. Bangladeshi Muslims are called "Sirsabadi"
whereas local Muslims are called "Surjapuri." Muslims who have come
from other parts of Bihar and UP are called "Paschimi" (western)
Muslims. The strategy of the political parties is either to divide
the Muslim vote or unify it according to need. A network of madrasas
mushrooming all over the district is bedevilling the intelligence
agencies.
A Bangladeshi Muslim who resettles in Kishanganj, uses a land grab
technique, and invites several of his relatives and friends from
Bangladesh. Kishanganj is part of the slender "chicken neck" that
links the Northeast with the rest of India. What if this slender land
route is choked and air bases in the Northeast blown up with
explosives under some sinister plan by the ISI?
Now let's come to the home minister's inability to distinguish
between infiltrators and refugees on religious lines. The suggestion
had come from Pramod Mahajan in consonance with the BJP's long
established views on the subject. Here is a simple and historic logic
for such a distinction being made. Independent India developed
a "secular" polity and never declared itself a Hindu state. But
Pakistan that included East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, proclaimed
itself an Islamic Republic. Pakistan, in principle, was created as a
homeland for all Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. The residual
India was meant for non-Muslims. All Muslim League leaders, between
1940 and 1946, had called for redrawing the demographic map of India
through exchange of population on communal lines. However, this plan
was never implemented.
So, though India was not a constitutionally Hindu country it was
incumbent upon India to shelter any persecuted non-Muslim - Hindu,
Sikh, Buddhist or Christian in Pakistan - or a non-Muslim willing to
migrate to partitioned India. Similarly, it was incumbent upon
Pakistan to accommodate any Muslim from the Indian subcontinent,
either persecuted or willing to migrate. Pakistan (then West
Pakistan), with its few weeks of partition, annihilated and expelled
its Hindus and Sikhs who comprised around one-fifth of its
population. But a large chunk of Hindus stayed back in East Pakistan
only to be ejected in trickles and torrents from 1947 till date. A
large number of Muslims continued to stay in West Bengal (now 25 per
cent) none of whom had to migrate to East Pakistan after 1950.
In Israel, which was established within one year of India's
independence, a Law of Return was promulgated in 1950 that grants
every Jew, wherever he or she may be, the right to come to Israel as
an oleh or aliya (a Jew immigrating to Israel), and become an Israeli
citizen. Till East Pakistan existed, a Hindu could simply walk over
to India especially West Bengal or Tripura, by citing communal
insecurity as a reason and become an Indian. His or her educational
qualifications would be valid in India at par Pakistan. All this
changed with the Indira-Mujib Agreement (1972) and Treaty (1974).
When Mujib-ur-Rehman, the founder father of Bangladesh, declared
Bangladesh to be a secular and democratic country, it was assumed
that no Hindu, Buddhist or Christian would have reason to flee to
India due to communal discrimination and persecution. But he was
killed in an Army coup on August 15, 1974. The new military dictator,
Zia-ur-Rehman, converted Bangladesh into a de facto Islamic state.
Later, in 1988, President Mohammed Ershad officially dropped the
word "secular" from Bangladesh's Constitution.
Today, Bangladesh can be aptly described as a vast concentration camp
for Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. Their demographic share in
Bangladesh's population has steadily plummeted. However, India never
restored provisions for Hindu refugees as before 1972. India could at
least go back to a pre-1971 situation when Bangladesh has de facto
and de jure reneged from its commitment to secularism. '
Women as victims
In the case of minority communities under attack in the present state
of Bangladesh, minority women are especially targeted. In the cases
reviewed above we have seen how women have been specially victimized
and terrorized. Civilian populations are using the tactics of an army
during conflict. Rape or even the fear of rape has created general
terror whereby whole villages reportedly flee their houses. During a
war where it is women, children and old people who are left to tend
the households after the men go to war, this tactic has been used
time and again to break the morale fabric of a society and to get rid
of the last vestiges of civil society. In the post-election violence
in Bangladesh against the Hindu minorities and the in the Mahalcchari
incident of CHT as well women were terrorized so that they left their
homes unguarded leaving it to be looted through the night by the
miscreants. It has been thought that this would break their economic
backbone so that they would have to sell off their lands very cheaply
to the dominant community. One wonders in such cases how such
militaristic thinking seemed to have pervaded even the dominant
political trends in society!
Organizer published an article in March 05, 2006. written by Basudeb
Pal. He wrote in this article `West Bengal warned of globalisation of
jehad `:
Two-day-long second international conference of Campaign Against
Atrocities on Minorities of Bangladesh (CAAMB) ended with three
important declarations on February 12, 2006. The conference was held
at Ballygan Siksha Sadan's Khemka auditorium in Kolkata.
General Shankar Roy Chowdhury (Retd.) and Rosaline Costa, a renowned
human rights activist from Bangladesh inaugurated the conference on
February 11, lighting the traditional lamp.
In his inaugural address, General Chowdhury warned the people of West
Bengal as well as of India to become alert of the threats of
globalisation of jehad and the changed-demographic situation of the
bordering districts of this state. He pointed out that according to
the last census report (2001), along the 20 to 25 kilometers of the
Indian side of West Bengal the Hindus have become minority. "The fact
that How miserably the minorities of Bangladesh are living there in
an inhuman condition is very significant for us. Although the
creation of Bangladesh could be made possible because of the
sacrifice of the thousands of Indian jawans. Not a single Islamic
state then wanted the rise of Bangladesh. Now we must not keep aloof
from the happenings Bangladesh. We can take a lesson from Pervez
Musharraf, the President of Pakistan, who says, `We are providing
political help to the freedom fighters in Jammu & Kashmir only'. We
must also help those who are fighting in Bangladesh for the human
rights of the Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, said Gen. Chowdhury .
In his presidential address, Prof. Sunand Sanyal (Retd.) said: "He is
fighter under the banner `Gan-Mukti Parishad' for demanding the
valuable voting right of the citizens of West Bengal with the cadres
of the ruling parties." He ridiculed the love of the left for the
Muslims.
Advocate Rana Dasgupta, Rosaline Costa and Advocate Rabindra Ghosh
vividly described the true story of inhuman torture, rape, gang-rape
of the women of Hindus, Christians and Buddhists including minor
girls, incidents of forcibly conversion to Islam, etc. Shri Costa
also said they are bound to compromise to recover a girl of minority
community from those who have raped her. There is no human right for
the minorities in Bangladesh. He further said there are more than
eighty thousands madrasas producing jehadis in large number in
Bangladesh. Dr Ajay Roy, a leader of Hindu-Buddha-Christian Unity
Council and a freedom fighter, who had taken part in the freedom
movement of Bangladesh, said they wanted to fight for true freedom of
every citizen in Bangladesh. He blamed the Bangladesh government for
telling a complete lie at every international platform that there is
a complete harmony and all the minority communities are exercising
their rights fully. He himself heard that in a seminar in London from
the High Commissioner of Bangladesh there, he added.
The two writers of Kolkata- Esha Dey and Maitreye Chattopadhay-
strongly criticised the so-called intelligentia and media of West
Bengal for not highlighting the true incidents of cruelty said that
happened in Bangladesh everyday. She said the `secular' brigade came
out to street when riots occurred in Gujarat and America attacked
Iraq but they maintain studied silence when the minorities are
cruelly tortured in Bangladesh.
Esha Dey said that both Bangladesh and Pakistan are Muslim-majority
states and ruled by the Muslims but India being a Hindu-majority
country is ruling in favour of the minorities (Muslims).
Achinta Gupta conducted the convention and poet Kamlesh Sen offered
vote of thanks. Many speakers from New York (Pabitra Chowdhury,
Nicoleus Sikdar), Sisir Mazumdar (London), Aloke Chowdhury (Canada),
Arunjyoti Barua (Switzerland) spoke on the occasion.
Mohit Roy, convener of CAAMB's Kolkata chapter, read the
declarations.
(The author can be contacted at 27/1B, Bidhan Sarani Kolkata-700
006.)
Bangldesh prespective is different, it may be understood. This
article shows the Bangladeshi outlook on thi issue:
Crossfire War: South Asia Theatre; Calcutta Conspiracy: No
Sovereignty for Bangladesh? - Mohammad Zainal Abedin
Filed under: Night Watch Information Service— willard @ 7:43 pm
Night Watch Team: DHAKA - It is very astonishing and pitiful that a
foreign national dared to speak against the sovereignty, separate
identity and existence of Bangladesh in the very presence of a
Bangladeshi, who claims himself a vanguard of the spirit of
independence. One Indian national Sriti Kumar Sarkar, addressing a
discussion meeting in Calcutta of India on October 1, made an insane
comment saying that Bangladesh does not need to have a separate
existence or sovereignty.
According to his prescription, the prosperity that will take place in
this region, (probably he referred to India), will automatically
develop this part of the world, which is now known as Bangladesh.
What a strange and audacious argument it is! The Bangladeshi
national, Shahriar Kabir, who was present at the discussion meeting
held at the Calcutta Academy of Fine Arts did not protest the
utterance of Sriti Kumar Sarkar, a teacher of Kolaynee University of
West Bengal.
Silence of Shahriar Kabir proved that he clandestinely supported and
welcomed the prescription of Sritir Kumar. When this report was
published in a section of Bangladeshi dailies, the vanguards of the
spirit of independence Awami League and its associates did not react
or protest. This silence also indicates to the acceptance of the
comment of Sarkar.
A Calcutta-based RAW-(Research and Analysis Wing, Indian
Intelligence) sponsored organisation `Campaign Against the Atrocities
on Minority in Bangladesh' (CAAMB) failed to conceal its anti-
Bangladesh bias. The very name of this organisation indicates its
aims and objectives. This organisation arranged the so-called
discussion meeting in Calcutta attended by 35 to 40 persons,
including one Bangladeshi - Shahriar Kabir, an infamous India-tilted
element.
The topic of the discussion was: Demography, Infiltration and the
Minority of Bangladesh: Some Questions. Among others CAAMB convenor
Muhit Roy, Director of Centre for Research in Indo-Bangladesh
Relation Bimol Pramanik, Prof. of Kalayani University Sriti Kumar
Sarkar, Poet Amaylesh Sen, Prof. Joyanta Roy and Shahriar Kabir of
Bangladesh addressed the discussion meeting.
Sriti Kumar Sarkar in his speech said, Bangladesh does not need
sovereignty and separate existence for the overall development of
South Asia. He prescribed that the prosperity that will take place in
this region, (probably he referred to India), will automatically
develop this part of the world, which is now known as Bangladesh.
This means, Sriti Kumar prefers to wither away Bangladesh. He did not
directly suggest that Bangladesh should merge with India.
But his cowardice utterance indicates so. If Bangladesh loses its
sovereignty and separate existence its territory and people cannot
jump to the sky. They will remain on earth, not as citizens of an
independent country, but as the slaves of India. What a nonsensical
and stupidity a university professor could utter! I have no language
to condemn him and his utterance. I feel pity for his narrowness and
communal hatred.
This type of utterance is equivalent to declaring war against the
country. This irresponsible and utopian utterance pains and hurts the
patriotic forces of Bangladesh. The continual process of repeating
anti-Bangladesh campaign virtually uncovers the depth of the hatred
of the communal Hindus against the Muslims. Hindus cannot tolerate
the existence of a separate country for the Bangalee Muslims.
To keep the Muslims under their feet, Hindus revolted against the
partition of Bengal in 1905, because the partition went, according to
then Hindu elites and intellectuals, in favour of Muslim interest. In
1947, when the Muslims wanted to have undivided independent Bengal,
out of India and Pakistan, with its capital in Calcutta, the Hindus
strongly opposed it, as such arrangement, according to them would
have gone in favour of the Muslims. So they opted to divide Bengal
into two, so that the portion that would go to Pakistan could return
to the fold of India soon.
India's assistance in the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971, did
not originate from their sense of humanity for the warring people of
Bangladesh, but to dismember Pakistan, to weaken the Muslim power in
the subcontinent and finally merge them to `greater Bharat, what
Nehru termed it `Awakhand Bharat'. Indian leaders though that
dismemberment of Pakistan would lead to the accession of Bangladesh
to India.
Despite relentless conspiracy that did not happen yet, Bangladesh
rather gradually emerges as a strong state and poses to get out of
Indian influence. Indians feel envious at the prosperity of the
Muslims whether they are Bangladeshi or Pakistanis. It is beyond
their blueprint. They never dreamt that the Bengalee Muslims should
have an independent and sovereign country their own.
The high-rise building in Dhaka and elsewhere in Bangladesh, its flag
that flies in Calcutta and elsewhere in the world, the long queues of
cars and vehicles in our cities, high living standard, growing per-
capita income, above all, educated and trained patriotic manpower,
etc. pain the Hindus. The Hindus suffer from mental agony seeing the
prosperity of the Muslims of British East Bengal, who were supposed
to remain as their tenants, slaves and agricultural labourers. They
design to pull us to that dark era.
To reach to that goal India leaves no stone unturned to disturb and
squeeze Bangladesh. For this reason, the Hindus vehemently opposed
the partition of India and creation of a separate homeland for the
Muslims. After 59 years of the partition of the subcontinent, the
Hindus still feel pity not for getting the Muslims as their
maidservants, and farm workers. Hindus did not hesitate to express
their agony in public.
Hindu leaders belonging to the Jatiya Puja Udjapan Committee in a
meeting held at Dhakeshari Mandir on August 20, 2004, publicly said
that is was a pity for them that no Muslim is available to work in
the houses of the Hindus. Muslims do not want to work in the houses
of the Hindus. According to them it is a very unfortunate change and
it started since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947.
I think no more explanation is needed why so-called professor Sriti
Kumar Sarkar felt that Bangladesh does not need separate existence
and sovereignty. The Hindus sitll work to make the Muslims their
slaves. Sriti Kumar expressed that dream in other way. One would get
zero logic why the Indians contemptuously comment on Bangladesh
frequently. Only a fool may believe that Bangladesh could be a threat
to India. But the Indian leaders shamelessly brand Bangladesh as
their dangerous foe.
It is to be mentioned that Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister,
was busy in holding meetings with the Indian ministers in New Delhi
while Sriti Kumar made his anti-Bangladesh utterance. It is strange
that she did also not protest the most objectionable utterance of the
Indian national. She reached Calcutta from New Delhi on the following
day, October 2, when the Indian dallies carried this report.
HRCBM in Brief
HRCBM is a worldwide campaigning movement dedicated to protecting the
human rights of people in Bangladesh. In particular, we work for
minorities in Bangladesh. We stand with victims and activists to
prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect
people from inhumane conduct, and to bring offenders to justice.
We investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers
accountable. We demand government and those who hold power to end
abusive practices and respect international human rights law. We
follow the guideline enshrined in UDHR, International Bill of Rights
and other standards. In general we are working to end xenophobia,
human rights abuse, racial discrimination, civil resentment,
brutality and oppression against minorities in Bangladesh.
Mission Statement
We are a human rights organization and has no political interest of
any sorts, however we will oppose any government law that
discriminate minorities including 8th amendment of Bangladesh
constitution and vested property act. Racial discrimination and
xenophobia in Bangladesh must be ended and any offender who has
committed human rights abuse against minorities should be prosecuted.
We will pursue our activities through worldwide campaign and followed
by appeal to government of Bangladesh and world leaders to end human
rights abuses in Bangladesh.
The Human Rights Tribune publishes fair and balanced news reports as
well as provides the platform for Quarterly reports of HRCBM. It also
includes independent investigative and news reports of human rights
abuses against the people of Bangladesh in general and minorities in
particular. The newspaper wants to create a new era in the field of
journalism depicting the plights of the destitute and their plea for
justice.
Our reputation for timely, reliable disclosures has made us an
essential source of information for anyone concerned with human
rights in Bangladesh. The news, articles, special and investigative
reports you will find here each describe human rights violations,
detail the causes, and provide recommendations for how to end the
abuses. Through field investigations and an extensive network of
sources in Bangladesh, the Human Rights Tribune is the leading source
of news and repository for Bangladesh.
Who relies on our reporting?
Concerned Individuals: demand information on abuses around the world
to ensure that human rights play a major role in government policy.
The Press: reporters, columnists, broadcasters and editors worldwide
rely on these reports and frequently cite them in their work.
Citizens' Organizations: church groups, relief organizations and
humanitarian agencies use and act upon the timely data and analysis
in these reports.
Policymakers: receive a detailed briefing on conditions from the
eyewitnesses, experts, local government officials, opposition
leaders, scholars, church officials, lawyers and human rights
monitors interviewed in these reports.
The Academic Community: increasingly focuses on the impact of human
rights abuses on economic development, environmental degradation,
famine, conflict and other global problems. These reports are a rich
source of firsthand information for scholars and students.
Libraries: research, academic, special and public libraries subscribe
to these reports, to meet the growing demand for their unique
information and to preserve the record of human rights history.
Indian holocaust My father`s life and time - Fourteen
Palash Biswas
Come Sunday, 12 th November. A seminar waits you which is organized
by Guruchand Sena Central committee in Shanti Ngar highshool, Palta,
a suburban station near Kolkata.You may have heared about Bangasena
which demands land from Bangladesh in accordance with the refugee
ratio. CAAMB (Campaign Against Atrocities on Minorities in
Bangladesh) is also active to highlight the cases of persecution of
minorities in Bangladesh. We read so many things in Mayer Dak
published from Kolkata. We sometimes visit the website of Human
Rights Comission For Bangladesh Minorities which quotes Bangla media
reports to highlight all the incidents involving Bangladesh
minorities.Now it is the turn of Guruchand sena. The agenda for the
seminar includes to important issues . First: Minority Persecution in
Bangladesh and second: The Citizenship Amendment Bill 2003 and the
following law.The speakers are well distingushed including a former
aditional cabinet secretary in government of India Bibhuti Bhushan
Nandi, a retired Major General KK Gangopadhyaya and the convenor of
CAAMB.
Dr Jagadish Haldar invites you all to join the seminar which begins
on 10 AM sharp. Dr Haldar is a very committed refugee leader
residing in Palta. He is very active and involved in mobilisation of
refugees in West Bengal. Dr Jagadish Haldar, Dr Birat Bairagya, Dr
Pushpa Bairagya, Dr Pushpa Roy and the organizors of the seminar
condemn the deportation drive launched by government of India armed
with the new Citizenship Act. At the same time they emphasize to stop
the refugee influx immediately for which the persecution of
Bangladesh minorities must stop.
Meanwhile in assam student bodies inspect Bangla border to detect
illegal ifiltrators cotrary to the AGP demand to grant citizenship to
all Hindu Refugees crossing the Border.According to print and
electronic media a team comprising members of the North East Students
Organisation (NESO), All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Tripura
Students Federation today inspected the Indo-Bangladesh border near
Tripura and expressed their resentment over the open and unprotected
border. NESO president Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya, Tripura Students'
Federation president Upendra Devbarma and AASU president Shankar
Prasad Roy during their visit saw that the border remained open
except in some areas where barbed wire fencing has started.
The team said that the Union Government has simply failed in
protecting the Indo-Bangladesh border. As a result, the porous
borders have encouraged countless Bangladeshis to enter the country.
Unless the border was sealed then the consequences of it would be
terrible, the three organizations warned.
Citizenship amendment Bill 2003 which was passed and the law is
enforced to evict all refugees crossing the border after 16th
December , 1971.
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.
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 other documents.
Gyanesh Kudaisya wrote in his article `DIVIDED LANDSCAPES, FRAGMENTED
IDENTITIES: EAST BENGAL REFUGEES AND THEIR REHABILITATION IN INDIA,
1947–79':The partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 was
followed by the forced uprooting of an estimated 18 million people.
This paper focuses on the predicament of the minority communities in
East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) who were uprooted and forced to seek
shelter in the Indian province of West Bengal. It considers the
responses of Indian federal and provincial governments to the
challenge of refugee rehabilitation. A study is made of the
Dandakaranya scheme which was undertaken after 1958 to resettle the
refugees by colonising forest land: the project was sited in a
peninsular region marked by plateaus and hill ranges which the
refugees, originally from the riverine and deltaic landscape of
Bengal, found hard to accept. Despite substantial official
rehabilitation efforts, the refugees demanded to be resettled back in
their "natural habitat" of Indian Bengal. However, this was resisted
by the state. Notwithstanding this opposition, a large number of East
Bengal refugees moved back into regions which formed a part of
erstwhile undivided Bengal where, without any government aid and
planning, they colonised lands and created their own habitats. Many
preferred to become squatters in the slums that sprawled in and
around Calcutta. The complex interplay of identity and landscape, of
dependence and self-help, that informed the choices which the
refugees made in rebuilding their lives is analysed in the paper.
Balbir K. Punj writes in his write up `Deluge from Bangladesh':A
recent statement in Parliament by the Union home minister on
Bangladeshi infiltration, and a news report in an otherwise "secular"
Hindi daily about the growing clout of illegal Bangladeshi resettlers
in Kishanganj parliamentary constituency of Bihar have once more
underscored the danger Indian civilisation faces, and the ostrich-
like response of the political leadership to this demographic
invasion.
Home minister Shivraj Patil, while speaking in Rajya Sabha on August
23, said that the Indian state could not distinguish between Hindu
and Muslim illegal immigrants from Bangladesh as "refugees"
and "infiltrators" respectively. Next day, there was another news
item tucked inside the pages of the Hindi daily Navbharat Times (Aug.
24) about the decisive influence of Bangladeshi Muslims, resettled in
Kishanganj, on electoral politics. Kishanganj, the sole Muslim
majority district of Bihar, is almost adjacent to Bangladesh. Muslims
form around 67 per cent of the district's population.
According to Navbharat Times, an unchecked influx of Bangladeshi
infiltrators in the post-1971 period has changed the demographic
character of the district. Bangladeshi Muslims are called "Sirsabadi"
whereas local Muslims are called "Surjapuri." Muslims who have come
from other parts of Bihar and UP are called "Paschimi" (western)
Muslims. The strategy of the political parties is either to divide
the Muslim vote or unify it according to need. A network of madrasas
mushrooming all over the district is bedevilling the intelligence
agencies.
A Bangladeshi Muslim who resettles in Kishanganj, uses a land grab
technique, and invites several of his relatives and friends from
Bangladesh. Kishanganj is part of the slender "chicken neck" that
links the Northeast with the rest of India. What if this slender land
route is choked and air bases in the Northeast blown up with
explosives under some sinister plan by the ISI?
Now let's come to the home minister's inability to distinguish
between infiltrators and refugees on religious lines. The suggestion
had come from Pramod Mahajan in consonance with the BJP's long
established views on the subject. Here is a simple and historic logic
for such a distinction being made. Independent India developed
a "secular" polity and never declared itself a Hindu state. But
Pakistan that included East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, proclaimed
itself an Islamic Republic. Pakistan, in principle, was created as a
homeland for all Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. The residual
India was meant for non-Muslims. All Muslim League leaders, between
1940 and 1946, had called for redrawing the demographic map of India
through exchange of population on communal lines. However, this plan
was never implemented.
So, though India was not a constitutionally Hindu country it was
incumbent upon India to shelter any persecuted non-Muslim - Hindu,
Sikh, Buddhist or Christian in Pakistan - or a non-Muslim willing to
migrate to partitioned India. Similarly, it was incumbent upon
Pakistan to accommodate any Muslim from the Indian subcontinent,
either persecuted or willing to migrate. Pakistan (then West
Pakistan), with its few weeks of partition, annihilated and expelled
its Hindus and Sikhs who comprised around one-fifth of its
population. But a large chunk of Hindus stayed back in East Pakistan
only to be ejected in trickles and torrents from 1947 till date. A
large number of Muslims continued to stay in West Bengal (now 25 per
cent) none of whom had to migrate to East Pakistan after 1950.
In Israel, which was established within one year of India's
independence, a Law of Return was promulgated in 1950 that grants
every Jew, wherever he or she may be, the right to come to Israel as
an oleh or aliya (a Jew immigrating to Israel), and become an Israeli
citizen. Till East Pakistan existed, a Hindu could simply walk over
to India especially West Bengal or Tripura, by citing communal
insecurity as a reason and become an Indian. His or her educational
qualifications would be valid in India at par Pakistan. All this
changed with the Indira-Mujib Agreement (1972) and Treaty (1974).
When Mujib-ur-Rehman, the founder father of Bangladesh, declared
Bangladesh to be a secular and democratic country, it was assumed
that no Hindu, Buddhist or Christian would have reason to flee to
India due to communal discrimination and persecution. But he was
killed in an Army coup on August 15, 1974. The new military dictator,
Zia-ur-Rehman, converted Bangladesh into a de facto Islamic state.
Later, in 1988, President Mohammed Ershad officially dropped the
word "secular" from Bangladesh's Constitution.
Today, Bangladesh can be aptly described as a vast concentration camp
for Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. Their demographic share in
Bangladesh's population has steadily plummeted. However, India never
restored provisions for Hindu refugees as before 1972. India could at
least go back to a pre-1971 situation when Bangladesh has de facto
and de jure reneged from its commitment to secularism. '
Women as victims
In the case of minority communities under attack in the present state
of Bangladesh, minority women are especially targeted. In the cases
reviewed above we have seen how women have been specially victimized
and terrorized. Civilian populations are using the tactics of an army
during conflict. Rape or even the fear of rape has created general
terror whereby whole villages reportedly flee their houses. During a
war where it is women, children and old people who are left to tend
the households after the men go to war, this tactic has been used
time and again to break the morale fabric of a society and to get rid
of the last vestiges of civil society. In the post-election violence
in Bangladesh against the Hindu minorities and the in the Mahalcchari
incident of CHT as well women were terrorized so that they left their
homes unguarded leaving it to be looted through the night by the
miscreants. It has been thought that this would break their economic
backbone so that they would have to sell off their lands very cheaply
to the dominant community. One wonders in such cases how such
militaristic thinking seemed to have pervaded even the dominant
political trends in society!
Organizer published an article in March 05, 2006. written by Basudeb
Pal. He wrote in this article `West Bengal warned of globalisation of
jehad `:
Two-day-long second international conference of Campaign Against
Atrocities on Minorities of Bangladesh (CAAMB) ended with three
important declarations on February 12, 2006. The conference was held
at Ballygan Siksha Sadan's Khemka auditorium in Kolkata.
General Shankar Roy Chowdhury (Retd.) and Rosaline Costa, a renowned
human rights activist from Bangladesh inaugurated the conference on
February 11, lighting the traditional lamp.
In his inaugural address, General Chowdhury warned the people of West
Bengal as well as of India to become alert of the threats of
globalisation of jehad and the changed-demographic situation of the
bordering districts of this state. He pointed out that according to
the last census report (2001), along the 20 to 25 kilometers of the
Indian side of West Bengal the Hindus have become minority. "The fact
that How miserably the minorities of Bangladesh are living there in
an inhuman condition is very significant for us. Although the
creation of Bangladesh could be made possible because of the
sacrifice of the thousands of Indian jawans. Not a single Islamic
state then wanted the rise of Bangladesh. Now we must not keep aloof
from the happenings Bangladesh. We can take a lesson from Pervez
Musharraf, the President of Pakistan, who says, `We are providing
political help to the freedom fighters in Jammu & Kashmir only'. We
must also help those who are fighting in Bangladesh for the human
rights of the Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, said Gen. Chowdhury .
In his presidential address, Prof. Sunand Sanyal (Retd.) said: "He is
fighter under the banner `Gan-Mukti Parishad' for demanding the
valuable voting right of the citizens of West Bengal with the cadres
of the ruling parties." He ridiculed the love of the left for the
Muslims.
Advocate Rana Dasgupta, Rosaline Costa and Advocate Rabindra Ghosh
vividly described the true story of inhuman torture, rape, gang-rape
of the women of Hindus, Christians and Buddhists including minor
girls, incidents of forcibly conversion to Islam, etc. Shri Costa
also said they are bound to compromise to recover a girl of minority
community from those who have raped her. There is no human right for
the minorities in Bangladesh. He further said there are more than
eighty thousands madrasas producing jehadis in large number in
Bangladesh. Dr Ajay Roy, a leader of Hindu-Buddha-Christian Unity
Council and a freedom fighter, who had taken part in the freedom
movement of Bangladesh, said they wanted to fight for true freedom of
every citizen in Bangladesh. He blamed the Bangladesh government for
telling a complete lie at every international platform that there is
a complete harmony and all the minority communities are exercising
their rights fully. He himself heard that in a seminar in London from
the High Commissioner of Bangladesh there, he added.
The two writers of Kolkata- Esha Dey and Maitreye Chattopadhay-
strongly criticised the so-called intelligentia and media of West
Bengal for not highlighting the true incidents of cruelty said that
happened in Bangladesh everyday. She said the `secular' brigade came
out to street when riots occurred in Gujarat and America attacked
Iraq but they maintain studied silence when the minorities are
cruelly tortured in Bangladesh.
Esha Dey said that both Bangladesh and Pakistan are Muslim-majority
states and ruled by the Muslims but India being a Hindu-majority
country is ruling in favour of the minorities (Muslims).
Achinta Gupta conducted the convention and poet Kamlesh Sen offered
vote of thanks. Many speakers from New York (Pabitra Chowdhury,
Nicoleus Sikdar), Sisir Mazumdar (London), Aloke Chowdhury (Canada),
Arunjyoti Barua (Switzerland) spoke on the occasion.
Mohit Roy, convener of CAAMB's Kolkata chapter, read the
declarations.
(The author can be contacted at 27/1B, Bidhan Sarani Kolkata-700
006.)
Bangldesh prespective is different, it may be understood. This
article shows the Bangladeshi outlook on thi issue:
Crossfire War: South Asia Theatre; Calcutta Conspiracy: No
Sovereignty for Bangladesh? - Mohammad Zainal Abedin
Filed under: Night Watch Information Service— willard @ 7:43 pm
Night Watch Team: DHAKA - It is very astonishing and pitiful that a
foreign national dared to speak against the sovereignty, separate
identity and existence of Bangladesh in the very presence of a
Bangladeshi, who claims himself a vanguard of the spirit of
independence. One Indian national Sriti Kumar Sarkar, addressing a
discussion meeting in Calcutta of India on October 1, made an insane
comment saying that Bangladesh does not need to have a separate
existence or sovereignty.
According to his prescription, the prosperity that will take place in
this region, (probably he referred to India), will automatically
develop this part of the world, which is now known as Bangladesh.
What a strange and audacious argument it is! The Bangladeshi
national, Shahriar Kabir, who was present at the discussion meeting
held at the Calcutta Academy of Fine Arts did not protest the
utterance of Sriti Kumar Sarkar, a teacher of Kolaynee University of
West Bengal.
Silence of Shahriar Kabir proved that he clandestinely supported and
welcomed the prescription of Sritir Kumar. When this report was
published in a section of Bangladeshi dailies, the vanguards of the
spirit of independence Awami League and its associates did not react
or protest. This silence also indicates to the acceptance of the
comment of Sarkar.
A Calcutta-based RAW-(Research and Analysis Wing, Indian
Intelligence) sponsored organisation `Campaign Against the Atrocities
on Minority in Bangladesh' (CAAMB) failed to conceal its anti-
Bangladesh bias. The very name of this organisation indicates its
aims and objectives. This organisation arranged the so-called
discussion meeting in Calcutta attended by 35 to 40 persons,
including one Bangladeshi - Shahriar Kabir, an infamous India-tilted
element.
The topic of the discussion was: Demography, Infiltration and the
Minority of Bangladesh: Some Questions. Among others CAAMB convenor
Muhit Roy, Director of Centre for Research in Indo-Bangladesh
Relation Bimol Pramanik, Prof. of Kalayani University Sriti Kumar
Sarkar, Poet Amaylesh Sen, Prof. Joyanta Roy and Shahriar Kabir of
Bangladesh addressed the discussion meeting.
Sriti Kumar Sarkar in his speech said, Bangladesh does not need
sovereignty and separate existence for the overall development of
South Asia. He prescribed that the prosperity that will take place in
this region, (probably he referred to India), will automatically
develop this part of the world, which is now known as Bangladesh.
This means, Sriti Kumar prefers to wither away Bangladesh. He did not
directly suggest that Bangladesh should merge with India.
But his cowardice utterance indicates so. If Bangladesh loses its
sovereignty and separate existence its territory and people cannot
jump to the sky. They will remain on earth, not as citizens of an
independent country, but as the slaves of India. What a nonsensical
and stupidity a university professor could utter! I have no language
to condemn him and his utterance. I feel pity for his narrowness and
communal hatred.
This type of utterance is equivalent to declaring war against the
country. This irresponsible and utopian utterance pains and hurts the
patriotic forces of Bangladesh. The continual process of repeating
anti-Bangladesh campaign virtually uncovers the depth of the hatred
of the communal Hindus against the Muslims. Hindus cannot tolerate
the existence of a separate country for the Bangalee Muslims.
To keep the Muslims under their feet, Hindus revolted against the
partition of Bengal in 1905, because the partition went, according to
then Hindu elites and intellectuals, in favour of Muslim interest. In
1947, when the Muslims wanted to have undivided independent Bengal,
out of India and Pakistan, with its capital in Calcutta, the Hindus
strongly opposed it, as such arrangement, according to them would
have gone in favour of the Muslims. So they opted to divide Bengal
into two, so that the portion that would go to Pakistan could return
to the fold of India soon.
India's assistance in the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971, did
not originate from their sense of humanity for the warring people of
Bangladesh, but to dismember Pakistan, to weaken the Muslim power in
the subcontinent and finally merge them to `greater Bharat, what
Nehru termed it `Awakhand Bharat'. Indian leaders though that
dismemberment of Pakistan would lead to the accession of Bangladesh
to India.
Despite relentless conspiracy that did not happen yet, Bangladesh
rather gradually emerges as a strong state and poses to get out of
Indian influence. Indians feel envious at the prosperity of the
Muslims whether they are Bangladeshi or Pakistanis. It is beyond
their blueprint. They never dreamt that the Bengalee Muslims should
have an independent and sovereign country their own.
The high-rise building in Dhaka and elsewhere in Bangladesh, its flag
that flies in Calcutta and elsewhere in the world, the long queues of
cars and vehicles in our cities, high living standard, growing per-
capita income, above all, educated and trained patriotic manpower,
etc. pain the Hindus. The Hindus suffer from mental agony seeing the
prosperity of the Muslims of British East Bengal, who were supposed
to remain as their tenants, slaves and agricultural labourers. They
design to pull us to that dark era.
To reach to that goal India leaves no stone unturned to disturb and
squeeze Bangladesh. For this reason, the Hindus vehemently opposed
the partition of India and creation of a separate homeland for the
Muslims. After 59 years of the partition of the subcontinent, the
Hindus still feel pity not for getting the Muslims as their
maidservants, and farm workers. Hindus did not hesitate to express
their agony in public.
Hindu leaders belonging to the Jatiya Puja Udjapan Committee in a
meeting held at Dhakeshari Mandir on August 20, 2004, publicly said
that is was a pity for them that no Muslim is available to work in
the houses of the Hindus. Muslims do not want to work in the houses
of the Hindus. According to them it is a very unfortunate change and
it started since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947.
I think no more explanation is needed why so-called professor Sriti
Kumar Sarkar felt that Bangladesh does not need separate existence
and sovereignty. The Hindus sitll work to make the Muslims their
slaves. Sriti Kumar expressed that dream in other way. One would get
zero logic why the Indians contemptuously comment on Bangladesh
frequently. Only a fool may believe that Bangladesh could be a threat
to India. But the Indian leaders shamelessly brand Bangladesh as
their dangerous foe.
It is to be mentioned that Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister,
was busy in holding meetings with the Indian ministers in New Delhi
while Sriti Kumar made his anti-Bangladesh utterance. It is strange
that she did also not protest the most objectionable utterance of the
Indian national. She reached Calcutta from New Delhi on the following
day, October 2, when the Indian dallies carried this report.
HRCBM in Brief
HRCBM is a worldwide campaigning movement dedicated to protecting the
human rights of people in Bangladesh. In particular, we work for
minorities in Bangladesh. We stand with victims and activists to
prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect
people from inhumane conduct, and to bring offenders to justice.
We investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers
accountable. We demand government and those who hold power to end
abusive practices and respect international human rights law. We
follow the guideline enshrined in UDHR, International Bill of Rights
and other standards. In general we are working to end xenophobia,
human rights abuse, racial discrimination, civil resentment,
brutality and oppression against minorities in Bangladesh.
Mission Statement
We are a human rights organization and has no political interest of
any sorts, however we will oppose any government law that
discriminate minorities including 8th amendment of Bangladesh
constitution and vested property act. Racial discrimination and
xenophobia in Bangladesh must be ended and any offender who has
committed human rights abuse against minorities should be prosecuted.
We will pursue our activities through worldwide campaign and followed
by appeal to government of Bangladesh and world leaders to end human
rights abuses in Bangladesh.
The Human Rights Tribune publishes fair and balanced news reports as
well as provides the platform for Quarterly reports of HRCBM. It also
includes independent investigative and news reports of human rights
abuses against the people of Bangladesh in general and minorities in
particular. The newspaper wants to create a new era in the field of
journalism depicting the plights of the destitute and their plea for
justice.
Our reputation for timely, reliable disclosures has made us an
essential source of information for anyone concerned with human
rights in Bangladesh. The news, articles, special and investigative
reports you will find here each describe human rights violations,
detail the causes, and provide recommendations for how to end the
abuses. Through field investigations and an extensive network of
sources in Bangladesh, the Human Rights Tribune is the leading source
of news and repository for Bangladesh.
Who relies on our reporting?
Concerned Individuals: demand information on abuses around the world
to ensure that human rights play a major role in government policy.
The Press: reporters, columnists, broadcasters and editors worldwide
rely on these reports and frequently cite them in their work.
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Policymakers: receive a detailed briefing on conditions from the
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