Trial of Hindu Bangladeshis to continue as per Assam Accord

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Oct 1: Even though the ruling BJP at the Centre has been vociferously supporting the issue of granting citizenship to Hindu migrants from Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, the Sarbananda Sonowal Government has filed an affidavit in Gauhati High Court stating that the exercise of detection and deportation of all types of illegal migrants from the neighboring country will continue on the basis of the Assam Accord.

The Assam Accord fixed March 25, 1971 as the cut-off date for detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshis from the State.

The development which is considered significant at a time when the ruling BJP is facing flakes for its alleged double standard to make Assam free from Bangladeshis, came to light during the autumn session of the Assembly on Monday when Parliamentary Affair minister Chandra Mohan Patowary gave a written reply to an unstarred question on the issue put by the ruling party’s MLA Dilip Kumar Paul.

Paul questioned the State Government whether it has filed an affidavit to the Gauhati High Court regarding the Gazette Notification by the Government of India on September 7, 2015 to protect the religious minorities who came over to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014.

Responding to Paul’s question Patowary on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal who holds the Home portfolio, informed the Assembly about filing an affidavit in connection with a PIL filed by one Anil Chandra Dey. The subject matter of the PIL was related to the Centre’s notification issued on September 7, 2015. Dey in his PIL alleged that despite the Centre’s notification Hindu migrants from Bangladesh in Assam are facing harassment in the hands of the government machinery.

In its affidavit the State Government has stated that it has no authentic and specific records regarding persons belonging to the minority community (Hindu Bengali) in Bangladesh who have compelled to take shelter in India or before December 31, 2014 due to religious persecution or fear of religious persecution in different times. Hence the question of harassment of such persons as alleged by the petitioner is not based on facts and the State Government categorically denies the same.

The State Government submitted before the Gauhati High Court that presently persons of Hindu Bengali who entered India from Bangladesh after March 25, 1971, are being examined for their claim of being Indian and if found suspicious, their cases are forwarded to Foreigners’ Tribunals for giving opinion. Once they are declared foreigner by the Foreigners’ Tribunals they are kept in detention centres for further follow up to deport them to Bangladesh. The government has further stated that mere publication of notification dated September 7, 2015 does not provide immunity to minority community persons from being prosecuted under the Foreigners’ Act, 1946.

The State Government has also made it clear in the affidavit that it has not received any instruction or order from the Centre directing the Foreigners’ Tribunals in Assam whether to try or not to try cases of Hindu migrants from Bangladesh who entered the State after March 25, 1971.