NEW DELHI, Feb 5 ? The latest drive against the illegal migrants mostly Bangladeshis, by Delhi Police has an Assam angle, as majority of the suspects have produced documents issued by Assam Government. While those held by the Delhi Police claimed that they were genuine Indian citizens and residents of Assam, the Delhi Police has dismissed them contending that they could be easily produced.Take for instance the case of Abdul Sobhan Khan, who claimed to be a resident of Goalpara district in Assam and now residing in Jamuna Pustha in East Delhi. A scrap dealer by profession, Khan who joined the demonstration here at Jantar Mantar produced various documents ranging from a copy of the voter?s list of 1958 to PRCs and certificates issued by local MLAs and MP.
Khan claimed that Delhi Police with the help of paid informers have been targetting them accussing them being of Bangladeshi nationals. The Delhi Police is not impressed by the documents produced in support of their claim on the ground that they are available at a price. Other demonstrators like Khan told this newspaper that they are over 5000 families from Goalpara, Dhubri and Barpeta districts of Assam residing in the slums of Delhi. They contended that they have shifted base because the flooding water have washed away their land in Assam.
The demonstrators contended that as most of the documents they have in their possession are in Assamese the Delhi Police rejects them outright. In separate memorandum to Deputy Prime Minister, L K Advani and AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, the Coordination Committee of Minority Organisation (CCMO) Assam has pleaded that Assam government be directed to issue certified copy of valid documents in English language instead of Assamese.
They also wanted that Assam government should be given direction to open IMDT Tribunals in every district headquarters, because people charged under the Act has to travel long distance to appear before the Tribunal. It may be noted that the suspected foreign nationals in Delhi do not have the advantage of the IMDT Act and are charged under the Foreigners Act. The Delhi Police under the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs has mounted special drive to detect and deport Bangladeshi nationals, who are suspected to be in lakhs in the capital, a factor which even the demonstrators conceded. Delhi Police has worked out an effective way of tackling the menace. Once a Bangladesh national is identified, he is held in special holding areas before being escorted in trains to West Bengal-Bangladesh border from where they are pushed back.