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Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘We feel safe in India': Amid controversy, Bangladeshi Matuas held in Pune apply for citizenship under CAA
Amid allegations of migrants from West Bengal (WB) being harassed in BJP ruled states, a Matua family from Bangladesh has applied for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), after they were taken in by Pimpri Chinchwad police earlier this month for inquiry in Pune district. 'We are afraid of going to Bangladesh due to the violence against Hindus. Situation is not good there. We are safe in India. Even Shaikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, had to flee and take shelter in India,' said Kishor Biswas, a member of the family who has applied for citizenship. In the first week of July, 40-year-old Kishor, his wife Bonita, brother-in-law Arush alias Bonomali Adhikary and Arush's wife Priyanka were held for inquiry in Wakad by the Pimpri Chinchwad police on the suspicion they were Bangladeshi nationals. The family belongs to the Matua community, a Hindu religious sect, primarily composed of Namasudras, a Scheduled Caste (SC) in Bangladesh. Police said they found nothing incriminating against Kishor, who claims to be a West Bengal resident, but a restriction order was issued against his wife and others, as documents of Bangladeshi identity were allegedly recovered from their possession. Referring to the action against the Matua family, the TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam, called the BJP led Maharashtra government 'anti–Bengali'. Islam is also the chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Workers' Welfare Board. On July 15, Islam posted on his X account, 'Now, members of our beloved Matua community have been facing harassment by the anti-Bengali BJP government in Maharashtra….Recently, our office at the West Bengal Migrant Workers' Welfare Board received information about police harassment of at least six members of the Matua community from North 24 Parganas, currently residing in Pune, Maharashtra…' 'We have already reached out to the affected family, who confirmed that the police in BJP-ruled Maharashtra have detained Arush Adhikary and at least five others including minors, on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals,' he posted. Refuting the allegations, a senior police officer said they found Bangladeshi national identity cards of Arush and his wife Priyanka, along with a Bangladeshi birth certificate of his sister Bonita, who is married to Kishor Biswas. Police also found their Indian documents like Aadhaar cards, suspected to have been procured through 'agents'. A police officer said action was initiated against the Bangladeshi citizens as per the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) directives issued in May this year. FRO of Pimpri Chinchwad police issued a restriction order for Arush, Priyanka and Bonita. But the police did not deport the Matua family, like other illegal Bangladeshi migrants, because Kishor submitted an application under the CAA, as per which Hindus or persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, can seek Indian citizenship. Kishor said the Matua community in West Bengal contacted lawyers in Pune, who helped him file the CAA form online. He then submitted a letter, attached with his CAA form, to DCP Shivaji Pawar on July 15, requesting the police to halt the deportation of his wife and two children Bebika (9) and Kiyan (4), both born in Pune. Police said Kishor did not have any Bangladeshi ID. But in his CAA form, he mentioned Bangladesh as his birth place. Police are now waiting for the government's instructions over his CAA application. Lawyers Sanket Rao and Khetaram Solankii, who assisted Kishor, said the Central Government should consider the CAA application of the Matuas and ensure they are not deported to Bangladesh. 'We also want to help Aarush's family in filing CAA form,' said Rao. Police said Aarush was operating a 'clinic', providing treatment for ailments like piles through 'ayurvedic' medicines. While he was initially restricted at Wakad police station, his wife and seven-month-old baby, sister and her children were allowed to stay at Kishor's house in Rahatani. When the Indian Express visited the house, the Matuas said they were cooperating with the police and there was no harassment by cops. Kishor said, 'I do not remember exactly, but I migrated to West Bengal from Bangladesh when I was around six years old, after my parents passed away. I grew up in West Bengal with my relatives. I have an Indian Adhaar card and other documents.' Kishor said he got married to Bonita of Khulna in Bangladesh and brought her to India using valid passports. 'We later shifted to Pune. My children go to school. My wife does tailoring work. I helped Arush in medicinal work,' he said. Arush's wife Priyanka claimed she migrated to India after marriage, but her husband has been in India for a long time and that his father even owns a property in West Bengal. She said Arush was doing a course at Bharati Vidyapeeth in Pune. Arush's brother is a resident of Karnataka, police said. Arush and Kishor have identity cards issued to them by the 'All India Matua Mahasangha', bearing signatures of Santanu Thakur, a BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Shipping. Thakur is a prominent Matua leader from West Bengal. He was not available for comment. A huge number of Matuas migrated to India during partition, later during the creation of Bangladesh. Many Matuas are known to have families and properties in Bangladesh, as well as in West Bengal and so they are often found migrating to both places. Getting Indian citizenship is one of the long-standing demands of the Matua community. Being influential in multiple districts in West Bengal, be it the BJP or the TMC, the key political parties in the state have been wooing the Matua community. The Matua community is believed to have helped the BJP win most of the SC constituencies in Bengal in 2019, after the party had promised to implement CAA. The Matuas are a composite caste whose social evolution is linked to the movement started by Sri Harichand Thakur. The movement originated in erstwhile Bangladesh and revolves around Harichand Thakur and his teaching. At present both West Bengal and Bangladesh have Matua populations. Chandan Haygunde is an assistant editor with The Indian Express with 15 + years of experience in covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has been associated with The Indian Express since 2007. Chandan has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the 'Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation' in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He has done in-depth reporting on the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and hearings of the 'Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry'. ... Read More
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Hry releases 27 Bengal workers, 3 still in detention
1 2 Kolkata: As many as 27 of 30 Bengali migrant workers, held by Surajkund police in Faridabad since July 15, have been released, Trinamool Congress MP and chairman of West Bengal Migrant Workers' Welfare Board Samirul Islam said on Saturday. While they were released in a phased manner, three still remain in detention. All of them worked as ragpickers and hail from Nadia. On July 16, CM Mamata Banerjee walked from College Square to Esplanade to protest the detentions of Bengali migrants in different parts of the country. She claimed that the Centre "issued a secret notification in Feb to detain and arrest anyone speaking in Bengali in case of any suspicion". Calling it "super-Emergency", Banerjee also signalled that the state administration would legally challenge the detentions of Bengali-speaking migrant workers. Highlighting the continuing harassment of Bengali-speaking workers in BJP-governed states like Odisha, Assam, and Delhi, Islam added that even members of the Matua community and Rajbanshis were being detained and arrested. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Islam alleged that migrant Bengalis were being labelled as Rohingya and Bangladeshis, without verifying their identity. "The same thing happened in BJP-governed Maharashtra too. In Pune, Matuas were detained on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. Shockingly, BJP MP and junior Union minister Shantanu Thakur, himself a Matua, is silent on the issue," he said. Mamata Bala Thakur, TMC's RS MP and a Matua leader , on Saturday visited the houses of some of the detained Matuas living in Bongaon to assure them that the state govt was taking all steps to ensure their early release.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
2 habeas pleas in HC over Bengal workers detained in Odisha
Kolkata: Two habeas corpus petitions were filed in Calcutta High Court on Friday against Odisha Police for "illegal detention" of migrant workers from Bengal. Trinamool MP and chairman of West Bengal Migrant Workers' Welfare Board Samirul Islam said the parents of two workers filed the petitions to bring the detainees before the HC. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Bengali-speaking people were detained in Odisha since June 25 while the country was observing 50 years of Emergency," Islam said. On Thursday, Bengal chief secretary Manoj Pant wrote to his Odisha counterpart, Manoj Ahuja, for release of the detained workers and to stop their harassment, urging immediate intervention. The chief secretary of Odisha, SP of Jagatsinghpur and OC of Balikuda police station have been made parties in the petition along with the Bengal CS and Murshidabad district magistrate. Nasima Mondal, mother of detained Rakhibul Islam Mondal, a resident of Hariharpara in Murshidabad, filed one of the petitions. She sought judicial intervention under Article 226 of the Constitution. Rakhibul, a migrant labourer working at Jagatsinghpur, was detained beyond 24 hours without being produced before any court of law, she claimed. This was against Supreme Court's guidelines and his fundamental rights were violated, Nasima's petition said. The police, while conducting an identity verification drive on June 25, detained Rakhibul and other Bengali-speaking people without any warrant. Nasima said though her son had valid documents — including Aadhaar, voter ID and ration card — these were not taken into consideration. Rakhibul was detained on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi for speaking Bengali, her petition claimed, adding that Odisha officials did not even cross-check his identity. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now She pleaded that her son be produced before the court. A similar petition was filed by Rajjak Sk, also a resident of Hariharpara, for his son Sainur Islam. Rajjak claimed his son had been detained by Jagatsinghpur police since June 30 during the identification drive of Bengali-speaking people. Sainur has not been given any legal support to seek bail, he said, seeking his son to be produced before the court and his "lost dignity restored". Islam posted on X: "We have moved court against the barbaric torture and atrocity on migrant workers in BJP-governed states like Odisha. The atrocity on Bengali-speaking people is a sheer violation of the Constitution."
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Stop harassment of Bengal workers in your state, CS Pant writes to Odisha
Kolkata: Indicating a growing frustration with Bengali-speaking migrant workers being illegally detained in Odisha as Bangladeshis, Bengal chief secretary Manoj Pant on Thursday wrote to his Odisha counterpart, Manoj Ahuja, to put an end to this "continuing harassment faced by people from West Bengal" in the neighbouring state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Samirul Islam, chairman of West Bengal Migrant Workers' Welfare Board and Trinamool's RS MP, threatened to move Calcutta High Court on the issue. "Thousands of people from Odisha live and work peacefully in Bengal. Not once has Bengal govt treated them with even a fraction of the hostility that Odisha is showing now," he said. Pant, in his letter, wrote: "We are receiving disturbing reports of such individuals being detained without due legal process in regions around Paradip and across coastal districts such as Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Malkangiri, Balasore and Cuttack. What is even more concerning is that even when these persons produce valid identity documents — including Aadhaar cards, ration cards, voter IDs, electricity bills and PDS documents — their claims are being dismissed. In many instances, they are being asked to produce ancestral land records dating back several generations, an unreasonable and unjustifiable demand for migrant workers." Pant also mentioned how, "alarmingly, there have also been instances where, despite verification reports from competent authorities in West Bengal confirming the identity and citizenship of the individuals, there has been no positive action or relief". "I appeal to you to take a humanitarian view of the matter and ensure that these individuals, who are Indian citizens, are not subjected to arbitrary detention or harassment based on linguistic or regional identity," he wrote. "It is deeply distressing to learn that many of them are being targeted solely because they speak Bengali — their mother tongue — and are being unjustly labelled as Bangladeshi infiltrators. This sweeping generalisation is not only unfair and discriminatory, but also deeply hurtful to citizens who have every right to dignity and protection under the law," Pant added. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Islam, who has been vocal on the issue, said: "The Odisha authorities refused to accept any identity document like Aadhaar and EPIC, and demanded verification from Bengal govt. We promptly provided the required details — verified and furnished by none other than DMs and SPs. But even that failed to satisfy them. Next, they asked for the electoral roll where names of these individuals were listed. Once again, the Bengal administration complied and sent the relevant documents. " The MP said: "Our CM Mamata Banerjee believes in diversity and strives to maintain harmony in every sense. So, I sincerely urge the Odisha govt and BJP: do not play with fire. If you ignite the politics of hatred, you may end up being consumed by your own flames."
