KISHEMGANJ: A situation similar to the one that had developed in Assam a decade ago with the All-Assam Students Union agitating over the foreign also issue in emerging in areas which were parts of the erstwhile Purnea district of Bihar.

The agitation calling for identification and repatriation of alleged infiltrators from Bangladesh, known as Ehatia Muslims spear headed by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi: Parishad (ABVP) is rapidly gaining momentum. Si mutinously here is growing fear among the Desalt (local) Muslims that the Bhatlas (migrants from Bhai, the low-lying areas in Bangladesh) will soon outnumber them and take control of all political and economic institutions in the country sides of the newly formed districts like Kisherngrari and Arara.

While political parties tike the CPI, CPM and the Janata Dal stout decide that there has been instillation at a scale which has affected an it altered the demi. graphic structure of the region BIP has been-was something not rate and which the Muslim populations has increased in the districts broadening West Dinajpur and Makdadisricis of West Bencal According to a document circulated by the ABVP in the area and corroborated by junior officials, the Muslim population in   while Pumea district had declined by about 17 percent immediately after petition, but between 1951 and 1960 it shot up by over 41 per cent, In fact, even in the electored rolls the number of Muslim voters, almost doubled between 1971 and 1980, much before the late Rajiv Gandhi granted the right of franchise to 18-year-olds, Junior officials of the area confided, on condition of anonymity that more than 25 lakh Bangladeshis  have crossed the border and have become bonafides Indian citizens.

The Bangladeshis, following a uniform pattern, have been entering the districts of Bihar rights up to Sahebhanj in the. Santhal Parganas fore last three decades, They come to West Dinajpur of Malda and from there taking cover under darkness and taking advantage of the unmanned forests and riverside terrain, cross into Bihar. The cannot be easily Mentioned as they speak the same language and look similar to the Destin Muslims.” said an official

The problem caused by such a massive influx has been ignored by both government officials and Politicians who now depend to a _great extent on the vows of these Bhatia Muslims. They have thought it discreet to dismiss any suggestion about infiltration as a “canard” spread by the BJP. But strangely, that is only their public poster in private, they do admit that the time has come when at least a process to screen the infiltrators should be initiated in adequately protect the rights and livelihood of bona fide Indian citizens,

A senior official of the special (home) branch said: both the state and Center will soon have to pay Alignation to the inflation problem. Otherwise, what appears to be a troublesome issue may blow up into a crisis whose solution may be very difficult to find. The problem will also acquire communa lover tones as the BJP and its front organization ABVP, have already launched an agitation for the oust of these alleged infiltrators on the lines of the AASU agitation in Assam. The center and state government are aware of the problem the official said, and added that since it was a sensitive issue nobody dared 10 touch it “until the government appeals out its policies in unequivatent terms, He was however, hopeful that the state government would real’s that the issue may lead to regional imbalance and react favorably in the near future.

A senior CPI leader contended that the problem had existed since Independence but people had not bothered to comment as it was. Basically a humanitarian problem of the Bangladeshis who had reached the border districts of West. Bengal in search of jobs and food they were provided shelter by the Muslims of these districts since they spoke the same language and had a common life style.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 20, 1992