Bangladeshi Hindu Refugees in Maharashtra Struggle for Basic Rights and Citizenship
Around 50,000 Hindu refugees from Bangladesh have settled in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. These refugees face numerous challenges, especially in a naxal-affected area. They have been deprived of basic facilities such as roads, electricity, education, and medical care for years.
The Nikhil Bharat Bengali Sharnarthi Samanvay Samiti has been fighting for the rights of these refugees. They demand land ownership, the right to education in Bengali, caste certificates, reservations, and citizenship rights. The implementation of the CAA has made it even more difficult for them to gain citizenship.
Dr. Subodh Biswas, National President of the Nikhil Bharat Bengali Refugee Coordination Committee, said, “Nobody wants to leave their own country. The Hindus of Bangladesh consider India their mother which is why they came to Maharashtra. Now they wonder why are we getting discriminated against. We don’t have land ownership, caste certificate, or citizenship. We are struggling a lot. We cannot fulfil the conditions of CAA. We trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. However, we are discontent with the CAA rulings.”
Refugee Bidhan Bepari shared, “We came here in 1964. Bangladesh was not safe for us. Around 20 lakh people came. Some came before 1964. They started living in various states. Many settled in West Bengal as well. The government settled many till 1974. The circumstances at that time were very bad. Nothing was grown and there was nothing to eat. The area was full of wild animals. Slowly we cleared forests and started growing things. However, we are struggling with some of the basic crises. 80 per cent of us do not have citizenship. The country got independence in 1947 but we don’t feel that we have got any freedom. We must be given citizenship. We should be given caste certificates. The land that was provided to us by the government must be legally transferred to us. We feel that we must be served justice.”
Another refugee, Maharani Shuken, said, “I was one year old when my father brought us to India to flee violence in Bangladesh. When we came here, we did not get food. We were given land and animals but we remained poor. We have not been provided with a caste certificate. The land given to us kept dividing over time. We are requesting the centre to provide us with caste certificates.”
Doubts Revealed
Bangladeshi Hindu Refugees -: These are people who follow the Hindu religion and have left Bangladesh to live in another country, in this case, India, because they faced problems in their own country.
Maharashtra -: Maharashtra is a state in the western part of India. It has big cities like Mumbai and Pune.
Gadchiroli district -: This is a district in Maharashtra. It is known for its forests and is affected by naxal activities, which means there are groups of people who fight against the government.
Naxal-affected area -: This means the area has problems with groups of people called Naxalites who use violence to fight against the government.
Nikhil Bharat Bengali Sharnarthi Samanvay Samiti -: This is a group that helps Bengali-speaking refugees in India. They work to get rights and better living conditions for these refugees.
Land ownership -: This means having legal rights to own a piece of land.
Education in Bengali -: This means teaching children in the Bengali language, which is the language spoken in Bangladesh and by many people in West Bengal, India.
Caste certificates -: These are documents that show which caste a person belongs to. In India, caste can affect many aspects of life, including education and job opportunities.
Reservations -: In India, reservations are a system where a certain number of seats in schools, colleges, and jobs are set aside for people from certain castes or communities to help them get better opportunities.
Citizenship -: This means being a legal member of a country, with rights like voting and getting a passport.
CAA rulings -: CAA stands for Citizenship Amendment Act. It is a law in India that makes it easier for people from certain religions, including Hindus from Bangladesh, to become Indian citizens.