Skip to main content

Mamata is right, we submitted 2,000 cases of BSF atrocities; but will she act?: MASUM

Counterview Desk 
Commenting on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement that the Border Security Force (BSF) is responsible for atrocities at the Indo-Bangladesh border, human rights leader Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), has said that it is an acknowledgement of the “heinous torture” is happening at the behest of the BSF.
Claiming that MASUM has submitted “more than 2,000 cases on different BSF atrocities to BSF, state government and different human rights institutes”, despite its limited work area, even as taking note of BSF’s rebuttal, Roy said, “We can safely assume that the actual number of atrocities is much higher”, adding, “We are clueless about why the BSF is acting in such a way that they haven’t yet heard of any such complaint.”

Text:

On 26th June, Smt. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal spoke of the atrocities of the Border Security Force (BSF) at the Indo-Bangladesh border. She spoke of alleged intimidation by the central paramilitary force and asked the populace to not be afraid. On the part of MASUM, we feel that this statement by the CM is an acknowledgement on the part of government authority that heinous torture by BSF exists in the villages at the Indo-Bangladesh border. We heartily thank the CM of West Bengal for acknowledging this fact.
Now, we will come to take a closer look at a statement by the Border Security Force, refuting this allegation. In the statement undersigned by PRO, BSF-Guwahati Frontier, they plainly and blatantly deny all these allegations. In this Statement, we will examine line to line and put forth our observations.
In the first point of the appraisal, the BSF has said that “BSF is a professional force… has never intimidated any border population or voter in the bordering areas…” Now, we, MASUM, have been working in the area for more than 25 years now. From our lived experience, we can responsibly affirm that the claim by BSF of “...never” intimidating “...border population” is nothing but a ridiculous fiction. In the last 5 years, we have encountered at least 104 cases of torture by the Border Security Forces, excluding 34 cases of extrajudicial killings, of which every single incident was brought to the notice of BSF authorities and the state.
Rather, there have been instances where the BSF has not acknowledged the directions of NHRC. In the case of Abdus Samad, a victim of extrajudicial execution by the Border Security Force, the NHRC recommended to the Home Ministry for 500 thousand rupees of compensation to the victim, which the BSF is yet to pay any heed to. The case of Felani Khatun gathered a lot of international attention. There too, the victim’s family still awaits justice. There are many more awaiting justices. 4096 kilometers long border between India Bangladesh is infamous due to mainly BSF. So, the “not intimidated” doesn’t really slice the bread.
If Union home ministry or BSF are serious about addressing problems of border population, they must admit that torture exists
In the second point of their statement they are speaking that “...No complaint of intimidating of any person in the border area has been received so far by BSF or any other sister agency.” (erroneous grammar unchanged from original text). We have submitted more than 2,000 cases on different BSF atrocities to BSF, state government and different HRIs during our existence. Withstanding the fact that our area of work is limited we can safely assume that the actual number of atrocities is much higher. We are clueless about why the BSF is acting in such a way that they haven’t yet heard of any such complaint.
So, in conclusion we want to say that the statement by BSF is as far from the reality as it can get. If the home ministry of Union Government or the BSF is even a tad bit serious about addressing the problems of the border population they must gather courage to admit the fact that “torture exists at the border where BSF is posted”, and that too with impunity of the sanction regime that further enables the perpetrators to commit such crimes. We, MASUM, thoroughly condemn this ‘full of lies’ statement by the BSF.
In the end, we would like to mention a few more things as well. While the acknowledgement of the problems of the border population is a great gesture by the CM, there are a lot many other problems than BSF torture. Per se, the population is severely marginalized due to government negligence. Also, the government of West Bengal must take action to destroy the troublesome nexus between the police and the BSF which is making the lives of people residing there, in a word, hellish. If, the government of West Bengal does not act upon these other problems of lives of the humans on the border, the statement by the CM will go down only as a gimmick in history.

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

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.
59 comments
»

CFA flags ‘welfare retreat’ in Union Budget 2026–27, alleges corporate bias

By Jag Jivan  The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has sharply criticised the Union Budget 2026–27 , calling it a “budget sans kartavya” that weakens public welfare while favouring private corporations, even as inequality, climate risks and social distress deepen across the country.
Post a Comment
»

From water scarcity to sustainable livelihoods: The turnaround of Salaiya Maaf

By Bharat Dogra   We were sitting at a central place in Salaiya Maaf village, located in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh, for a group discussion when an elderly woman said in an emotional voice, “It is so good that you people came. Land on which nothing grew can now produce good crops.”
Post a Comment
»

'Big blow to crores of farmers’: Opposition mounts against US–India trade deal

By A Representative   Farmers’ organisations and political groups have sharply criticised the emerging contours of the US–India trade agreement, warning that it could severely undermine Indian agriculture, depress farm incomes and open the doors to genetically modified (GM) food imports in violation of domestic regulatory safeguards.
Post a Comment
»

When free trade meets unequal fields: The India–US agriculture question

By Vikas Meshram   The proposed trade agreement between India and the United States has triggered intense debate across the country. This agreement is not merely an attempt to expand bilateral trade; it is directly linked to Indian agriculture, the rural economy, democratic processes, and global geopolitics. Free trade agreements (FTAs) may appear attractive on the surface, but the political economy and social consequences behind them are often unequal and controversial. Once again, a fundamental question has surfaced: who will benefit from this agreement, and who will pay its price?
Post a Comment
»

Why Russian oil has emerged as the flashpoint in India–US trade talks

By N.S. Venkataraman*  In recent years, India has entered into trade agreements with several countries, the latest being agreements with the European Union and the United States. While the India–EU trade agreement has been widely viewed in India as mutually beneficial and balanced, the trade agreement with the United States has generated comparatively greater debate and scrutiny.
Post a Comment
»

Trade pacts with EU, US raise alarms over farmers, MSMEs and policy space

By A Representative   A broad coalition of farmers’ organisations, trade unions, traders, public health advocates and environmental groups has raised serious concerns over India’s recently concluded trade agreements with the European Union and the United States, warning that the deals could have far-reaching implications for livelihoods, policy autonomy and the country’s long-term development trajectory. In a public statement issued, the Forum for Trade Justice described the two agreements as marking a “tectonic shift” in India’s trade policy and cautioned that the projected gains in exports may come at a significant social and economic cost.
Post a Comment
»

From Puri to the State: How Odisha turned the dream of drinkable tap water into policy

By Hans Harelimana Hirwa, Mansee Bal Bhargava   Drinking water directly from the tap is generally associated with developed countries where it is considered safe and potable. Only about 50 countries around the world offer drinkable tap water, with the majority located in Europe and North America, and a few in Asia and Oceania. Iceland, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, and Singapore have the highest-quality tap water, followed by Canada, New Zealand, Japan, the USA, Australia, the UK, Costa Rica, and Chile.
1 comment
»

Michael Parenti: Scholar known for critiques of capitalism and U.S. foreign policy

By Harsh Thakor*  Michael Parenti, an American political scientist, historian, and author known for his Marxist and anti-imperialist perspectives, died on January 24 at the age of 92. Over several decades, Parenti wrote and lectured extensively on issues of capitalism, imperialism, democracy, media, and U.S. foreign policy. His work consistently challenged dominant political and economic narratives, particularly those associated with Western liberal democracies and global capitalism.
Post a Comment
»