Skip to main content

Declared "illegal" Bangladeshi, "lower caste" Hindu mysteriously dies in Assam's foreigners' camp: Report

Subrata Dey's family

By Our Representative
Subrata Dey, a 39-year-old Bengali Hindu migrant, dubbed a Bangladeshi, reportedly mysteriously died in a detention camp at Goalpara in Assam. Subrata, belonging to a “lower” caste, was found dead on May 26 at the camp, where he was lodged on being declared an illegal Bangladeshi intruder by the Foreigners’ Tribunal, operating to identify Bangladeshis who entered Assam after March 14, 1971, when Bangladesh became independent of Pakistan.
The shocking incident has come to light amidst Assam’s BJP rulers allegedly seeking to take away the citizenship of several thousand immigrants from across the border through the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) bill, 2016.
A resident of Ashadubi village, under Krishnai in Goalpara district, Subrata, says a report, had substantial documents to prove himself an Indian citizen. However, he was declared an illegal intruder in Assam by the Foreigners’ Tribunal, which assumed that he intruded into Assam from Bangladesh after March 14, 1971, the cut-off date.
Subrata, says the report, was born in 1979 in his family home in South Salmara Bazar area under the undivided Goalpara district, and had to migrated with his family to Krishnai, which is about 70 km far from South Salmara.
Subrata Dey
The family had to migrate from their house since 1968 several times, as the Old Market area of South Salmara, along with several hundred villages, would frequently get washed away due to floods in Brahmaputra since 1968. Some villages even today experience inundation.
Subrata was tagged as ‘D’ voter (Doubtful Voter) about eight years ago, and his case was referred to the Foreigners’ Tribunal after the BJP-led government came to power in Assam in 2016, the report says, adding, he and his family tried their best to submit all documents relating to citizenship, but to no avail.
Subrata’s 71-year-old mother Anita Dey has been quoted as saying that when the case was referred to the Foreigners’ Tribunal, they were served a notice. They promptly contacted a prominent advocate of Goalpara and submitted all their requisite documents, so that they could establish Subrata as the genuine Indian citizen.
Significantly, the report, by Zamser Ali, says that the National Register of Citizens (NRC),1951, has Dey’s father and grandfather’s name as living in the village South Salmara under House No 63. The name of his grandmother Monoranjan Dey (40), his grandmother Makhan Bala Dey (26), his father Krishna Pada Dey (10), and his uncle Diz Pada Dey (4) are recorded along with four other names.
In the NRC, Monoranjan Dey was recorded as son of Late Harendra Chandra Dey. Likewise Monoranjan Dey (40), son of Harendra Chandra Dey and Makhan Bala Dey (26), wife of Monoranjan Dey, is duly also recorded in the voter list of 1966 in the village 203 Beladoba under the serial number 755 and 756. But Subrata’s father Krishna Pada Dey’s name has been mysteriously left off the list.
1951 NCR list having names of
Subrata Dey's parents, grandparents
“The Voter List of 203, Baladoba, under South Salmara Legislative Assembly Constituency of Assam is evident of the fact that inherent of Monoranjan Dey never escaped from the state”, the report states, adding, what was not taken into account was, the family had to move from one place to another due to erosion of Brahmaputra. Finally, the family settled in village Ashadubi under police station Krishanai of Goalpara District.
Yet, Subrata, son of Krishnapada Dey and grandson of Monoranjan Dey, was declared a ‘D’ Voter. Subrata, the only earning member of his family, sold all his cows and land to manage his court expenses. But, all his efforts failed when he was finally declared an illegal Bangladeshi national by the Foreigners’ Tribunal two months ago and deported to a Detention Camp at Goalpara.
The report, published in sabrangindia.in, a site run by prominent human rights activist Teesta Setalvad, says the case “simply exposed the face of the BJP government, which is trying to pass Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to give citizenship to all non-Muslim immigrants from the neighbouring countries.
Subrata is being targeted because he is “a lower caste Bengali Hindu”, the report suspects, adding, it exposes “the real face of BJP Government in Assam, by showing how the Foreigners’ Tribunal under present regime is working.”

Comments

Uma said…
Mysterious deaths seem to be the order of the day--shut them up forever

TRENDING

Reducing emission? India among top nations whose coal as energy source going up

By NS Venkataraman*  The State of the Global Climate report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that the year 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global temperature of 1.4 degree celsius above pre-industrial 1850-1900 base line.

Lockdown 'total failure' of science more than of politics: Open letter on 4th anniversary

Counterview Desk  In an open letter to fellow academicians, scientists and medical practitioners in India, marking the fourth anniversary of India's lockdown (25 March 2024), the Managing Committee* of the Universal Health Organisation (UHO) has insisted on the need to "repair two years of immense damage to science".

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor*  Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

'Wrong direction': Paris NGO regrets MNC ArcelorMittal still using coal-based steel

By Rajiv Shah  A new report by Paris-based non-governmental research and campaigning organization, Reclaim Finance, has blamed the MNC ArcelorMittal – formed in 2006 following the takeover and merger of the western European steel maker Arcelor (Spain, France, and Luxembourg) by Indian-owned Mittal Steel – for using use “climate destructive” metallurgical coal for its projects in India.

'Flawed' argument: Gandhi had minimal role, naval mutinies alone led to Independence

Counterview Desk Reacting to a Counterview  story , "Rewiring history? Bose, not Gandhi, was real Father of Nation: British PM Attlee 'cited'" (January 26, 2016), an avid reader has forwarded  reaction  in the form of a  link , which carries the article "Did Atlee say Gandhi had minimal role in Independence? #FactCheck", published in the site satyagrahis.in. The satyagraha.in article seeks to debunk the view, reported in the Counterview story, taken by retired army officer GD Bakshi in his book, “Bose: An Indian Samurai”, which claims that Gandhiji had a minimal role to play in India's freedom struggle, and that it was Netaji who played the crucial role. We reproduce the satyagraha.in article here. Text: Nowadays it is said by many MK Gandhi critics that Clement Atlee made a statement in which he said Gandhi has ‘minimal’ role in India's independence and gave credit to naval mutinies and with this statement, they concluded the whole freedom struggle.

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. 

Attack on foreign students: Gujarat varsity's reputation, ranking at stake, say academics

Counterview Desk  Expressing anguish over the attack on international students in Gujarat University hostels, a letter claimed to have been signed by 122 current and former academics has asked the Gujarat Vice Chancellor, Dr Neerja Gupta, to provide emotional support to the attacked students and to ensure their physical safety.  

As double engine takes backseat in Odisha, BJP is pitted against 'firmly rooted' BJD

By Sudhansu R Das  BJP has got 25 years to build its party base in Odisha. After 25 years, it felt helpless and insecure to fight elections on its own strength. The party was almost crazy to have an alliance with the ruling BJD in Odisha.  Looking for alliance at the time of election shows that the party has not groomed its grassroots level workers into potential leaders.  The state BJP leaders woke up and convinced the Central leaders that they are capable of going solo; the alliance was stillborn. The question is can BJP defeat BJD which is firmly rooted in Odisha after launching piles of populist programs in the state.