“Provide us with citizenship,” Gadchiroli’s Bangladeshi Hindu refugees appeal to centre

Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) [India], September 17 (ANI): The population of Hindu refugees who came from Bangladesh and settled in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra has reached to around 50 thousand. It has been a big challenge for these people to make ends meet in the naxal-affected area. These people have remained deprived of basic facilities like roads, electricity, education, and medical care for years. They have been fighting for their rights. They have been struggling to gain land ownership, the right to education in Bengali medium, caste certificates, reservations and citizenship rights.

It has become even more difficult for these people to gain citizenship after the implementation of CAA.

Nikhil Bharat Bengali Sharnarthi Samanvay Samiti has been fighting for the refugee Bengali Hindus for the last many years and they demand that the government should give them justice.

Speaking to ANI, Dr Subodh Biswas, National President, of Nikhil Bharat Bengali Refugee Coordination Committee said, “Nobody wants to leave their own country. The Hindus of Bangladesh consider India their mother which is why they came to Maharashtra. Now they wonder why are we getting discriminated against. We don’t have land ownership, caste certificate, or citizenship. We are struggling a lot. We cannot fulfil the conditions of CAA. We trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. However, we are discontent with the CAA rulings.”

A refugee Bidhan Bepari said, “We came here in 1964. Bangladesh was not safe for us. Around 20 lakh people came. Some came before 1964. They started living in various states. Many settled in West Bengal as well. The government settled many till 1974. The circumstances at that time were very bad. Nothing was grown and there was nothing to eat. The area was full of wild animals. Slowly we cleared forests and started growing things. However, we are struggling with some of the basic crises. 80 per cent of us do not have citizenship. The country got independence in 1947 but we don’t feel that we have got any freedom.

We must be given citizenship. We should be given caste certificates. The land that was provided to us by the government must be legally transferred to us. We feel that we must be served justice.”

Another refugee Maharani Shuken said, “I was one year old when my father brought us to India to flee violence in Bangladesh. When we came here, we did not get food. We were given land and animals but we remained poor. We have not been provided with a caste certificate. The land given to us kept dividing over time. We are requesting the centre to provide us with caste certificates.”