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

Subrata Dey's family

By A 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.”