Throw out Bangladeshi intruders : Jharkhand High Court

• Jharkhand High Court orders State Govt

• Conspiracy to convert scheduled caste girls to Islam, petition alleges

• 46 new madarasas built in Santhal Pargana, an area near the Bangladesh border !

Ranchi (Jharkhand) – The Jharkhand High Court recently ordered the State Government to identify the Bangladeshis who have entered India illegally and prepare an action plan to take action against them and deport them. A bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice AK Rai gave the judgment on 3^rdJuly after hearing the petition filed by Daniel Danish.

Centre should work with the State governments to solve the problem of infiltration

The Court has ordered the Government to provide a progress report on the matter in less than two weeks and specify the number of intruders from Bangladesh that they have identified, how many of them have been stopped, and how many were sent back. Besides this, the Court also asked the Union Government to submit a response on the issue and declared it a grave matter. It pointed out that State governments alone cannot handle it and the Centre and the State should work together. Therefore, the Centre should also inform the Court about the measures they have taken in this regard.

Petitioner demands to order the Union Government to take action against the intruders

The Centre presented its case to the Court during the hearing as well and informed that State governments now have an authority to detect infiltrators and take appropriate action as it has granted them the authority. However, the petitioner told the bench that the State Government is denying infiltration in the state and doesn’t even acknowledge any conversion in the Santhal area. Hence, the Centre should be directed to take action against the Bangladeshi intruders in such a situation. Now, the next hearing in the case is to be held on 18^thJuly.

Serious allegations in the petition

The petition mentions that banned organisations in Bangladesh are converting ST (Scheduled Tribe) girls of the State to Islam in the name of marriage. The incidents are being carried out in a planned manner and it is imperative to put an end to them. Notably, there has reportedly been a sudden increase in the number of madarasas in Santhal Pargana. There are 46 new madarasas there and they are being utilised for anti-national activities, according to the plea. The intruders are also occupying the land in addition to exploiting the local women.

Editorial Perspective

• In 2001 itself, India was tolerating 5 crore Bangladeshi intruders, the then Director General of Police in a State had claimed. As no Government has taken any action against them, today these same intruders are threatening the integrity of India. This is shameful for democratic India !

• Why such an order has to be issued ? It is not possible that India’s intelligence agencies are unaware about this. Political will must be created to take permanent action against Bangladeshi intruders !

• Since there is a Government of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in the State, such an action is impossible !