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The Wire
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Poor Muslims, Uneducated, But Regular With Routine Police Visits: The People Assam Is 'Pushing Back' into Bangladesh
Barpeta (Assam): On May 25, Hazera Khatun (60) and Shona Bhanu (58) – both from Barpeta district in Assam – left their homes with a rare sense of hope. They were summoned to the Superintendent of Police's office in Barpeta and allegedly told that their long-standing 'foreigner cases' were about to be dismissed. 'They told us, 'You've been fighting this case for years. After this meeting, it will all be over',' Khatun said. 'We were tired and broken after fighting for many years – so we believed them. We thought Allah had finally answered our prayers," she added. That hope lasted only a few hours. By evening, they were locked inside a room, denied food or water, and then forced into police vehicles. They were taken to the Matia Transit Camp in Goalpara district, the largest detention facility in India for those that the government calls 'illegal foreigners.' In May 2025, the Assam government launched a sudden and sweeping crackdown on individuals it labelled 'illegal foreigners'. As part of the drive, the government detained and also deported those who were previously declared 'foreigners'. Most of them happened to be elderly Muslims of East Bengal origin. Both women were among the more than 300 people who were "pushed back" – a term increasingly being used by the government – to Bangladesh, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed in a legislative assembly session on June 9. Sarma said the 'illegal foreigners' were pushed back to Bangladesh under the The Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950. On May 27 at dawn, 14 people including Khatun and Bhanu were taken towards the Indo-Bangladesh border and Kurigram district in Bangladesh. Personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) forced both women to walk through jungle paths at gunpoint, they said. 'We had to cross the border because we were terrified,' said Bhanu. By morning of May 28, the women found themselves on no man's land in what they suspect was the Kurigram district in Bangladesh. 'We were left like animals,' Khatun said. 'We stood in knee-deep water, under the blazing sun, without food, medicine, or a place to sit," she added. Border Guard Bangladesh soon found them. They said the BGB detained them in an open field for the entire day, and then shifted them to a makeshift shelter. There, they were given a barebones meal. 'We were drenched, bitten by mosquitoes, and almost left to die,' Bhanu said. D-voters Khatun and Bhanu's nightmare began more than a decade ago, when they were each marked as D-voters or 'doubtful voters' – by the Election Commission. The D-voter category, introduced in 1997, allows electoral officials to flag individuals whose citizenship is suspected. Once marked as D-voters, individuals' names are referred to Foreigners' Tribunals (FTs) which have been set up across Assam by the government since 1964. FTs have often been reported to operate without transparency. Most of the people declared 'foreigners' by FTs are poor, illiterate, and Muslims of East Bengal origin. Spelling variations or missing documents can result in lifelong statelessness in the FTs' eyes. FTs in Assam had declared more than 1.5 lakh people 'foreigners' by the end of 2023. Among those declared 'foreigners', a major portion is uneducated women who were often married off before they were of legal age, making it difficult for them to establish a connection with their parents. Many Muslim families of East Bengali origin, however, have been living in Assam for generations. 'I had all my documents,' Khatun said. 'Land records, voter lists and labin naama (marriage certificate). Still, they called me a foreigner. I was born here. My parents and grandparents were born here.' 'I cannot prove myself a Bangladeshi citizen. But I can prove that I am an Indian citizen," Banu said. Khatun and Bhanu say that they had been declared foreigners years ago by the FT and were held in detention camps for over three years each. Their families managed to secure bail after appealing to the Gauhati high court. Both were released on the condition that they would report to their respective police stations once a week. The foreigners' tribunal at Barpeta. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain. "Since her release, she has never missed a single date,' Khatun's daughter, Jorina Begum, said. 'Every Wednesday, no matter how ill she was or how bad the weather was, she went to the Barpeta Road police station." The 'push back' policy adopted by various state governments now bypasses India's legal and constitutional procedures. Lawyers say that no Indian law allows for 'pushbacks' – only deportation orders issued by the Union government, with diplomatic coordination and proof of nationality, are permitted. 'The Assam government is bypassing the law,' a Dhubri-based lawyer who chose to remain anonymous said. 'These are not deportations. These are illegal pushbacks that render people stateless.' Both Khatun and Bhanu spent at least two days in the makeshift camp in Bangladesh. After that, the Bangladesh government officially declared that the people found in different border areas are not Bangladeshi citizens. The women, along with 12 others, were eventually loaded into a vehicle again and brought back across the border — quietly, without any formal process or announcement. 'We thought they were going to kill us,' Khatun said. 'We were drenched, shivering, and starving. My chest hurt so badly, I truly thought I was going to die.' Both women were found on the highway near Goalpara on May 31 where the group split and Khatun and Bhanu were left behind. Their family members, with the help of local residents, rescued them from the spot where they had been dropped off. 'We received a phone call around 11.45 pm saying that two women had been found getting drenched in the rain,' said Bhanu's brother, Ashraf Ali. 'One of them was my sister' The Matia detention centre. Photo: Kazi Sharowar Hussain. Khatun's daughter said she had fallen sick and needed to go to the hospital for treatment. Khatun and Bhanu are still haunted by the incident. Khatun has grown physically weaker, while Bhanu has lost faith in people. 'I will die of a heart attack if I see the police once again,' said Khatun. Missing On the same Sunday, May 25, 70-year-old Karim Ali, a resident of Jania village in Barpeta district, also reported to the Superintendent of Police's office. A day earlier, his son Mannan Ali had received a phone call from the local police station, informing him that senior officials wanted to meet his father and that his "foreigner case" might be dismissed. Following the call, Karim Ali arrived at the SP office accompanied by his son. But no meeting took place. 'They told us to wait. Suddenly, I was pushed out of the gate, and my father was locked inside,' Mannan recalled. 'Later, a large police vehicle came and took him away.' Karim Ali had previously spent five years in a detention centre in Goalpara District Jail – before the Matia detention centre started functioning – after being declared a foreigner by a high court order. He was released during the COVID-19 pandemic following a Supreme Court directive to decongest detention camps. His wife, Saburjan Nessa, said he returned home severely ill. 'His health had deteriorated badly. He had been forced to eat rotting and low-quality food in the camp," she said. Since his disappearance, Ali's family has desperately been searching for him. They visited the Matia detention centre, but received no answers. The police officials only said, 'We know as much as you do.' With the help of a human rights group, the family has approached the Gauhati high court. His lawyers suspect that Ali, too, has been "pushed back" into Bangladesh. Kazi Sharowar Hussain (Kazi Neel) is a filmmaker, journalist and a poet from Barpeta, Assam. He heads Itamugur Community Media, a platform that amplifies the voices of the marginalised communities.
New Indian Express
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Aap Jaisa Koi Movie Review: R Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh's May-December romance doesn't go beyond its springtime aesthetics
After boy meets girl, it's time for the second stage of love: family meets family. The Tripathis are a patriarchal lot. Shrirenu's elder brother Bhanu (Manish Chaudhari) is in the real estate business and treats women too like property. His wife Kusum (Ayesha Raza) feels neglected while daughter Nisha (Shriyam Bhagnani), although qualified, has to be at the receiving end of sexist instructions. The Boses, on the other hand, are Dharma's version of a Bengali family, full with sitar-teaching grandmother, office-going women and closeted-writer uncle. Bhanu is judgmental of the Boses' modernity, but it isn't much of a hindrance and the couple gets engaged. On the day, however, Shrirenu gets a surprise which could have been seen from miles before. Madhu is the same girl who was moaning his name on the app. Although liberal in mind and pookie in mannerisms, Shrirenu might have some red flags in his spirit.
Mint
11-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Pharmexcil warns new online portal threatens 45% of India's pharma exports
New Delhi: A new rule centralizing the approval process for drug exports through a web portal could squeeze shipments by nearly 45%, an exports promotion body said, seeking time to shift to the new system. A certificate of pharmaceutical product (COPP) is mandatory to ship drugs to a foreign country. It certifies that the product is manufactured in compliance with good manufacturing practices and is of appropriate quality, safety, and efficacy. Last week, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) said all COPP applications must be submitted solely through a single licensing portal. This could severely disrupt India's pharmaceutical exports, said officials at Pharmexcil, which works to promote Indian pharmaceutical and healthcare exports worldwide. 'The circular was issued by CDSCO a week back. Earlier, this COPP was issued by the state authorities, which was a quick task process, and companies were able to manage to do their businesses. Now, CDSCO making it centralized on the online portal is making it difficult for companies to get the certification done. We are seeking some time from the CDSCO and the health ministry for this transition. We welcome this online process, but need some time to take it forward,' said Namit Joshi, chairman, Pharmexcil. A health ministry spokesperson did not respond to queries. Pharmexcil said that while it supports digital advancements, it is concerned about the abrupt change without a transition plan. This could jeopardize nearly 45% of India's total pharmaceutical exports, specifically those destined for 'Rest of World' (RoW) markets, it said. India's pharmaceutical exports rose 2.35% in April 2025, reaching $2.486 billion. The US was the largest destination, with $898.34 million in exports, followed by the UK at $77.97 million, South Africa at $58.31 million, and Brazil at $57.15 million. According to Pharmexcil, exporters are now grappling with a 'dual regulatory bottleneck.' Domestically, they face delays with the CDSCO's no-objection certificate (NOC) and internationally they face slow regulatory submissions and approvals. K. Raja Bhanu, director general, Pharmexcil said, 'Exporters are already facing delays with domestic approvals from CDSCO, and now they will experience slower international regulatory submissions.' Bhanu said Pharmexcil has formally requested the health ministry and CDSCO to delay the rule's implementation and discuss the matter with all parties involved. 'A proposal for a phased rollout with existing processes running in parallel has been put forth that will allow time for exporters to align without compromising ongoing business.' Bhanu emphasized that regulatory policies must balance strict quality standards with facilitating trade. 'While the government aims to ensure responsible manufacturing, some new rules are seen by the industry as limitations on business. The inability to get timely COPP approvals or NOCs could push international buyers to choose suppliers from other countries, causing irreversible long-term damage to Indian exporters,' Bhanu said. Pharmexcil has also highlighted additional challenges that many drugs that have been available in India for years are now being reclassified as 'new drugs' simply based on their dosage forms (like coated tablets). This leads to delays in getting COPPs and significantly increases the time it takes to export products, the council said in a statement. 'Publicly released interim data on CDSCO's portal, especially data related to domestic samples that are often not connected to export batches, is being misinterpreted by global regulators as red flags. This leads to alerts in RoW markets and undermines Brand India, it said.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Pharma exporters seek time to comply with only submission for COPP
Pharma exporters body Pharmexcil has appealed to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to defer a proposal to only permit applications on ONDLS portal for certificate of pharmaceutical product (COPP) from July 15. Regulatory policies must strike a balance between maintaining stringent quality standards and being trade-facilitative, Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India Director General K. Raja Bhanu said. COPP or the no-objection certificate CDSCO issues certifies that the manufacturing unit concerned complies with World Health Organisation Good Manufacturing Practices norms. 'Exporters are now burdened with a dual regulatory bottleneck - domestically through CDSCO's NOC/new drug classification delays and internationally due to slower regulatory submissions and approvals abroad, said in a release. Pharmexcil has requested the Ministry and CDSCO to delay implementation of the circular that mandates exclusive online submission of COPP applications via the ONDLS (one nation, one drug licensing) portal. Seeking a phased rollout with existing processes running in parallel to allow time for exporters to align, the exporters body under the Commerce Ministry said it supported digital integration and modernisation of regulatory frameworks. However, if the mandate is abruptly enforced without a transitional roadmap there is a possibility of a major disruption to the pharmaceutical exports - particularly to Rest of World markets. About 45% of India's pharma exports are to ROW markets. 'Quality and commerce may not always align in the short term, but this balance is the only sustainable path forward - which will be transformative for brand India. While the government rightly aspires to ensure responsible manufacturing, some of the regulatory developments are misperceived by industry players as commercial limitations. The inability to secure timely COPP approvals or NOCs has the potential to push overseas buyers toward alternate suppliers from competing nations, causing irreversible long-term damage to Indian exporters,' Mr. Bhanu said. Pharmexcil said it has identified additional challenges, including brand India being undermined by premature regulatory alerts, especially those triggered by interim data published on CDSCO's portal regarding domestic samples, many of which are unrelated to export batches. Global regulators interpret these incomplete data sets as red flags, leading to alerts across ROW markets. Several drugs that have been on Indian pharmacy shelves for years are being newly classified as 'new drugs' based solely on dosage forms (e.g., coated tablets), triggering delays in COPP issuance and drastically increasing export turnaround time, it said.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Pharmexcil flags export disruption risk due to COPP mandate; seeks urgent review
The Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India on Friday sought a review of a recent circular issued by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, which mandates exclusive online submission of Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (COPP) applications via the ONDLS portal . While the Council supports digital integration and modernisation of regulatory frameworks, it foresees a major disruption to India's pharmaceutical exports , particularly to Rest of World (RoW) markets, if the mandate is abruptly enforced without a transitional roadmap for exporters. Currently, Indian exports to RoW markets account for 45 per cent of total exports. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo "Exporters are now burdened with a dual regulatory bottleneck - domestically through CDSCO 's NOC/new drug classification delays, and internationally due to slower regulatory submissions and approvals abroad," Pharmexcil DG K Raja Bhanu said in a statement. The council has formally requested the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and CDSCO to delay the implementation of the ONDLS-only COPP submission model and engage in immediate stakeholder consultations, he added. Live Events "This request has been made keeping in mind that regulatory policies must strike a balance between maintaining stringent quality standards and being trade-facilitative," Bhanu said. While the government rightly aspires to ensure responsible manufacturing, some of the regulatory developments are misperceived by industry players as commercial limitations, he said. The inability to secure timely COPP approvals or No Objection Certificates (NOCs) has the potential to push overseas buyers toward alternate suppliers from competing nations, causing irreversible long-term damage to Indian exporters, he added.
