In report on Santhal Pargana, NCST says NGOs should be roped in to deal with ‘Bangladeshi infiltration’

Throughout the report, the Commission alludes that almost all issues raised by local Adivasis were a result of ‘illegal immigration’ — from lack of govt. scheme penetration and local land disputes to human trafficking

In the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes’ report on the demographic changes in Jharkhand’s Santhal Pargana region, the Commission has recommended roping in non-State actors, specifically non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to deal with the alleged problem of “Bangladeshi infiltration” into the State.

The report concludes that the demographic changes in Santhal Pargana region over the last seven decades had been caused by alleged infiltration of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. This is in divergence with the Union government’s understanding of the issue as per an affidavit filed by the Home Ministry last month before the Jharkhand High Court, which is hearing a batch of petitions on the issue.

Tough to enumerate

However, the NCST’s 28-page report adds, “It may be difficult to enumerate the number of Bangladeshi infiltrators because the number keeps changing and official records are incapable of capturing this.”

Ahead of the Assembly election scheduled in Jharkhand later this year, the issue of demographic changes in Santhal Pargana region has been brought into the limelight. The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has ascribed this to “illegal immigration from Bangladesh”; the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has put the onus of checking illegal immigration on the Centre, which is ruled by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

Amidst this, NCST Member and former Ranchi Mayor Asha Lakra conducted an “investigation” into the demographic changes being perceived in four districts of the region — Sahibganj, Pakur, Godda, and Jamtara — and submitted a report on it to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on September 15.

Throughout the NCST’s report, the Commission alludes that almost all issues raised by local Adivasis were a result of “illegal immigration” — from the lack of government scheme penetration and local land disputes to human trafficking, missing girls, and cybercrime.

The report also records claims by purported locals, which allege that sacred land of Adivasis, known as Johar Sthan, are being converted into “Muslim cemeteries”, citing examples in Narayanpur sub-division of Pakur district. In a similar example cited from Sahibganj district, the NCST claims that the district had sanctioned ₹28.83 lakh for a cemetery of “Bangladeshi infiltrators” in Tetariya village, something the Commission has asked to be put on hold.

The report claims that “Bangladeshi Muslims” were acting as “middlemen” to prevent Adivasis from accessing benefits of government schemes.

At one point, the NCST’s report claims Pakur district of Jharkhand shares its border with Bangladesh. It also claims that the Muslim population in Pakur had increased “in the last 10 years”.

No border with Bangladesh

Jharkhand has no international borders. Pakur district shares its border with West Bengal near the latter’s neck, beyond which is Bangladesh. Further, the 2021 Census has not been conducted and is indefinitely delayed.

After submitting the report to the Home Ministry, Ms. Lakra had told The Hindu their probe “confirmed that infiltration is taking place” and has documented purported “evidence” of it. It is largely based on anecdotal material gathered from conversations with “neighbours, panchayat members, and villagers”, she had said.

Most of the incidents shared as examples in the report have details such as the time of incident and in some cases, the place of incident, missing. For instance, the report mentions an instance of Muslims in Gopinathpur village of Pakur allegedly sacrificing a cow on Bakrid. However, there is no inkling of which year this incident took place. In other anecdotes recorded by the NCST, the Commission has just named the alleged victim’s name to cite “examples”.

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The Commission’s report also reproduces allegations first made by Ms. Lakra to reporters in Jharkhand in August, where she claimed “Bangladeshi infiltrators” were allegedly trapping Adivasi women into marriages and having them elected, to gain land and influence in the villages of Santhal Pargana. At the time, she had named eight Panchayats, where she claimed the Adivasi Mukhiyas were married to “Bangladeshi Muslims”.

This list is reproduced in the Commission’s report even though some of the names on it were incorrect, all the women had denied being coerced into their marriages, and none of them had inherited any land, as The Hindu had reported in September.

Even as the batch of petitions remain pending in the Jharkhand High Court, the State government submitted on October 1 that it has approached the Supreme Court, challenging previous orders of the Bench that was hearing the matters.

Published - October 13, 2024 04:23 am IST