West Bengal Human Rights Group
BSF Accused of Intimidating People, Pushing Them to Border
Photo: Agamir Somoy
A new debate has erupted over the forced pushing of people into Bangladesh along the India-Bangladesh border. The West Bengal-based human rights organization Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) has alleged that the BSF is taking many people suspected of being Bangladeshi from various areas of West Bengal to the border and attempting to forcibly push them into Bangladesh. The organization claims that a significant number of these people are women and children.
In a statement released on Sunday, the APDR said that a situation has arisen in various border areas where many people are stranded at the zero-point areas between India and Bangladesh. Although the BSF claims they are Bangladeshi nationals, the Bangladeshi border guard force BGB is not accepting them. As a result, these people are forced to spend their days in uncertain and inhumane conditions between the two countries' borders.
The organization alleges that in many cases, even women, children, and the elderly are being intimidated with guns and pushed toward the border. They do not have adequate food, drinking water, or medical care. They are being forced to spend their days under the open sky amid intense heat, rain, and adverse weather.
APDR Vice President Ranjit Sur said, "This policy, which is contrary to humanitarian and constitutional values, must be stopped immediately. Arrangements must be made to safely bring back those who have been abandoned at the border."
He further stated that India's so-called "Detect, Deport, Delete" policy has created this crisis. A person cannot be left stateless solely on the basis of suspicion.
The APDR has called for a march and protest program in Malda city on June 11 to protest these events. The organization has demanded that the central government abolish the "pushback" policy. Additionally, they have called for monitoring and intervention by the United Nations human rights system.
According to human rights activist Seema Chhanda, while border security is important, attempting to forcibly send someone to another country without legal process in this manner is not consistent with international human rights principles.
On the other hand, those working on border security argue that the state has the right to take legal steps to prevent illegal infiltration. Thus, the issue has now emerged at the center of the two questions of human rights and border security.
