Kokrajhar, Sept 30:Sara Asom Bangali Oikyo Moncho (Bengali United Forum of Assam) - a common platform of 14 Bengali organizations of the State -expressed serious concern over the alleged harassment of Hindu Bengalis by labelling them as ‘D’ voters. In a press meet held at Kokrajhar Press Club on Sunday, Sara Asom Bangali Oikyo Moncho general secretary Santanu Mukherjee said the Hindu Bengalis in the State were subjected to harassment by being labelled as ‘D’ (doubtful) voters and by non-inclusion of their names in the draft NRC.
He alleged that many Bengalis had been branded ‘illegal migrants’ and sent to detention camps by Foreigners Tribunals despite having valid documents. He said nearly 25 lakh Bengalis living in different parts of the State had been excluded from the draft NRC.
Stating that the Hindi Bengalis had become a victim community in Assam, Mukherjee said the border branch of Assam Police were randomly serving D-voter notices to Bengali-speaking people and most of these cases were happening in districts like Chirang, Baksa, Bongaigaon, Barpeta and Udalguri. Even family members of people whose names figure in the 1951 NRC were branded as D-voters. The Sara Asom Bangali Oikyo Moncho leaders urged the government to arrange and facilitate the D-voter inmates in various detention camps to visit and meet their families during Durga Puja and Kali Puja.