Misleading and ill-conceived legal notice and arbitrary restriction by BSF

Kirity Roy, Secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), represents to the Chairman, National Human Rights Commission on misleading and ill conceived legal notice and arbitrary restriction by BSF:

***

Through this complaint, I want to attract your kind attention to another incident of BSF restriction upon the daily activities of the bordering village people. The Border Security Force personnel associated with Mahisgaon Border out Post, ‘E’ Company, 72 Battalion obstructed and restricted the movements of the local populace. Through promulgation of Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code issued by local administration as prayed by BSF; misconceived BSF termed as ‘Curfew’ and residents of those areas are under panic. People of the area are not allowed to enter the villages by using the IBBR road beside CPWD.
About 5000 people reside in the Paharpur, Mahishagaon, and Keshabpur villages. Out of the total population, 70 percent of the villagers belong to Muslim Other Backward Class and other 30 percent from Hindu Scheduled Caste (Dalit) backgrounds. The main occupation of the villagers is agriculture. The distance between the border fence and the International Border Pillar (IBP) is about 350 meters. There is no ration shop in the village. One primary school (Sarba Siksha Kendra) is located in the village. There is PWD (Keshabpur/Mahishagaon) road in the village.
Paharpur, Mahishagaon and Keshabpur village is a bordering village of the Indo-Bangladesh border situated under the jurisdiction of Choi Nagar Gram Panchyat and Hemtabad Block and Hemtabad Police Station in the district of North Dinajpur. Here most of the people are Muslims and farmers from the minority community. About 2000 bigha of agricultural land is there. Farmers and villagers of Paharpur, Mohisagaon and Keshabpur villages are always terrified of the activities of BSF personnel. They always place illegal and arbitrary restrictions upon the life and livelihood of the villagers.
These whimsical actions and arbitrary restriction imposed by the Border Security Force personnel posted at Paharpur, Mahishagaon and Keshabpur villages is not only challenging their life and livelihood but also violating the Article 21 and Article 19 of the Constitution of India and Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The plight of the villagers and denial of their proper livelihood practices is against the Articles 7 and 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) as well as the goal number 8 and 16 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In all these international instruments, the Government of India is a party and has taken pledge to adhere with.
The villagers of the three villages jointly complained to the DM Uttar Dinajpur and BDO, Hemtabad Block, Hemtabad Uttar Dinajpur. They complained of --
1. the BSF has restricted their movements within 8 km of the border area
2. BSF has prohibited the villagers to transport food grains, cattle, petroleum products, or any other products, section 144 was issued by them, so common people like farmers, rickshaw pullers, toto drivers, laborers and workers are facing difficulties to continue their livelihood. It is difficult to bring essential goods and livelihood is hindered.
Following are the names and details of some of the victim villagers, whose movements were restricted by the BSF:–

Other victims who were restricted by BSF:

On 09.09.2022 the people of Paharpur village jointly submitted one letter complaining of the above stated situation to the Block Development Officer, Hemtabad Block and to the District Magistrate, North Dinajpur and prayed for taking proper action. But till date no action has been taken by the concerned district and block administration. The incident is a clear violation of Articles 19 and 21 of the Indian Constitution and Goal No 16 of Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations General Assembly to promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies. The incident is also against the Article 12 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The villagers of Paharpur, Mohisagaon and Keshabpur have rights guaranteed in Article 2 of ICCPR, which were not entertained.

Hence, I request your urgent intervention in this matter with the following demands: -

The border security force personnel should be posted at zero point and not inside villages.
The whole matter should be inquired by one neutral authority, appointed by the Commission.
Adequate measures should be directed to be taken by the authorities concerned to hear and consider the problems of the villagers in a fair, just and reasonable manner and to sort out a reasonable and legitimate solution to their problems.
The gates must be opened for 12 hours a day.
The BSF authorities must be directed to protect the interests of the people residing besides border fencing without imposing any unreasonable restrictions on them.
Wrong interpretation of legal notice must be removed.

The mass petition submitted by the victim villagers before the District Magistrate, North Dinajpur should properly be acknowledged and adequate steps should be directed to be taken on the said mass petition. CPWD must remove the illegal notice for the convenience of people to reach their farming lands without any difficulty. BSF must be directed to be posted at the actual border instead of the inner side of CPWD road or inside villages.

Comments

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani* India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor* Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas* November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad* On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor* Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Tributes paid to pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, who 'dodged' police for 60 yrs

By Harsh Thakor* Jagjit Singh Sohal, known as Comrade Sharma, a pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, passed away on October 20 at the age of 96. Committed to the Naxalite cause and a prominent Maoist leader, Sohal, who succeeded Charu Majumdar, played hide and seek with the police for almost six decades. He was cremated in Patiala.

Search This Blog