In the Indian state of West Bengal, the newly elected BJP government has launched a sweeping crackdown on undocumented Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, rounding up thousands and deporting them under a policy dubbed "detect, delete and deport." At the Hakimpur border checkpoint, families like that of Raisul Islam huddle in makeshift shelters, awaiting their fate.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came to power in West Bengal a month ago and immediately ordered the identification and expulsion of illegal immigrants, specifically targeting Muslims. Hindus and migrants of other faiths are exempt under a controversial constitutional amendment.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that nearly 5,000 Bangladeshi citizens have been deported so far, with another 836 held in detention centers across the state. He stated that authorities would not bother taking detainees to court before deportation, citing a Supreme Court ruling that foreign nationals have few rights under Indian law.
Migrants like Islam, who came to India two years ago seeking medical treatment and better wages, say they surrendered voluntarily to avoid harassment. Many recount stories of economic hardship in Bangladesh and paying touts to cross the border. Security forces have been pushing migrants back across the border, with the Border Guard Bangladesh reporting at least 18 such attempts since June 4.
The crackdown has strained relations between New Delhi and Dhaka. Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Adviser Shama Obaid said her government has sent 12-13 letters to India and warned that the deportations could affect bilateral ties. India's foreign ministry insists it is following a bilateral mechanism and has sent requests for nationality verification of over 2,800 suspected Bangladeshis.
Human rights groups have condemned the deportations as "completely unethical." Elaine Pearson of Human Rights Watch called for legal representation for detainees to prevent wrongful expulsion of Indian citizens. Activist Teesta Setalvad accused the government of acting on a "preconceived agenda" against Muslims, picking people up randomly and treating them like commodities.
The BJP's targeting of Muslim migrants is part of a broader policy to marginalize India's 200 million Muslims, rights activists say. As dusk falls in Hakimpur, Islam and his family are loaded into a vehicle and taken to a detention center 18 km away, leaving behind a land that "teaches non-violence and kindness for all."
Source: www.aljazeera.com