Lok Sabha Debates
Regarding Reported Harassment Of People From Raiganj Parliamentary ... on 3 March, 2003
font> 12.42 hrs. Title: Regarding reported harassment of people from Raiganj parliamentary constituency (West Bengal) in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.
SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSI : Mr. Speaker sir, I seek your protection as well as the protection of the entire House and I expect a response from the Government, especially from the Home Ministry.
I gave the notice purposefully, with a copy to the Home Ministry, with regard to a serious situation. I do not like to take much time of the House but maybe it is the beginning of my movement to defend the rights of the genuine Indian citizens through this intervention.
Sir, Punjab and Bengal are the two States, which witnessed the brunt of partition of India as well as riots during the national struggle. Several hundreds of people have been displaced from Pakistan to Punjab, from Punjab to Pakistan, from Pakistan to Bengal, from Bengal to Pakistan and later on Bangladesh.
Sir, we are all opposed to occupation by the illegal immigrants in this country. We are all opposed to those who are acting on behalf of ISI and Al-Qaida in India. But it is the solemn duty of the Government to see that no bona fide citizens of India are harassed. A large number of Bengali-speaking people, Muslims and Hindus, from Bengal, Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam have been working in various jobs in Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and various parts of the country for the last two decades. They are from small walks of life like daily wage earners, brick-kilns,khans in Delhi, tailoring, embroidery, etc. For the last one month a serious kind of harassment has been started to them. Though they produce their identity cards, Election Commission cards, ration cards, school leaving certificate, Head Master’s certificate, certificates from Members of Parliament or Zila Parishads, they are being harassed.
Sir, for the last one month, people in Gurgaon, NOIDA and Panipat, and even people from marriage pandal have been picked up by the police on the ground that they must be Bangladeshis because they speak in Bengali language. Even when they produced all their identity documents, they were not released. One month before, I had been to the Gurgaon police station and met the Superintendent of Police. I gave the identity of people who belong to my constituency. I also told him that their forefathers took part in the national struggle. Yet, they were not protected. Yesterday, when I contacted Gurgaon Superintendent of Police, he said that he was doing his national duty. He tried to teach me a lesson that we are not doing our national duty. I told him: "This is too much. You must verify whether these people, who belong to West Bengal or Tripura, are having the bona fide citizenship of the country or not." He refused to listen.
Sir, people, who are serving the nation and bringing up the nation from the day of our Independence, are being punished like this. I demand the Government, through you, Sir, especially the Minister of Home Affairs – I wrote a letter to Shri Advani – to invite all the MPs of the border States to know their views, explain the Government’s views and understand the situation. Otherwise, it will lead to a serious situation.
I give you a specific example. In a place called Ratwa and Anand Tola, people belonging to a particular community called ‘chain mandal’ are here from the dawn of Independence. The family members of those people have been picked up even from marriage pandal and police have beaten them. They have also been abused in a foul language.
Yesterday, in Gurgaon, people of Chakolia, who belong to my constituency, have been picked up because they speak in Bengali language. They have been tortured in the police station. Police say that they have got this direction from the Government. If this is the way to remove all the Bengali-speaking people, it will send a wrong message.
I am proud of being in West Bengal, which teaches national unity. It never looked at the people as to which language they speak. Sir, this is the treatment that is being meted out to Bengali-speaking people in this country.
Sir, I demand the Home Minister to explain the Government’s policy clearly and to inform us whether the Government is sticking to the Indira Gandhi -Mujib-ur-Rahman Accord. I also want the Government to clarify its stand as to whether this rule applies to those who came within the purview of that Accord.
If the Government does not call a meeting of all the MPs of the border States immediately to explain its position, it will go beyond control, and we will have no other option but to lead a morcha in Delhi. This will send a bad message. Sir, the Government is keeping quiet on this issue. Bangladeshi does not mean whoever is speaking in Bengali language. What is the treatment that they are giving? Therefore, I want the Home Minister – I gave a notice in the morning – to respond to it and to call a meeting of the MPs of the border States immediately to understand our problems.
SHRI ADHIR CHOWDHARY (BERHAMPORE, WEST BENGAL): Sir, in the name of illegal immigrants, the Government is persecuting the Bengali-speaking people throughout India. Bengali backlash may take place. … (Interruptions)
MR. SPEAKER: This issue was discussed during the ‘Zero Hour’. I cannot allow further discussion on this.
Now, Shri Somnath Chatterjee.
SHRI SOMNATH CHATTERJEE (BOLPUR): Sir, this is not a question of chauvinism at all.
I am thankful to Shri Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi for raising it once again because it is proper that it has to be brought in the highest forum of this country. Both myself and Shri Hannan Mollah have written to the hon. Deputy Prime Minister giving the details of the names of the people. An FIR has been lodged against one Mr. Lakshman Mandal saying he is "Lakshman Khan", thereby trying to show that he is a Muslim, as if all Muslims have to be hounded out of this country. That cannot be the policy. Similarly, Muslim surnames are being given to those who have got Hindu Christan names, as we call it the first name. Similar FIRs have been lodged. They are not even produced before the court. They have been beaten physically in the police station lock-up, in the custody of police. Such incidents are happening one after another.
Are we going to divide the country again on the basis of language? Therefore, I am appealing to all sections of the House, through you, Sir, that this matter should not be allowed to be treated as a routine manner. This matter is much more serious. We had raised it before also when it had happened in some other States. Now it is happening near the capital of India--Gurgaon and in large areas of Noida. A terror situation is prevailing. I earnestly request the Government to immediately respond.
MR. SPEAKER: Mr. Minister, would you like to say something?
संसदीय कार्य मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री तथा श्रम मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री (श्री विजय गोयल) :अध्यक्ष महोदय, माननीय सदस्य श्री प्रियरंजन दासमुंशी और सोमनाथ जी ने जो मामला उठाया है और जैसा आपका निर्देश है, मैं गृह मंत्री के संज्ञान में पूरा विषय रखूंगा।
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