Beef eating: BSF man 'harassing' minority person, threatens cow smuggling case

Counterview Desk
In a complaint against a serving BSF personnel for allegedly threatening and abusing a "respectable member" from the minority community, human rights activist Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), has said that for the last three months he is bing threatened that he would be implicates in cases on cow smuggling and other illegal activities.
In a letter to Dr Hari Krishna Dwivedi, State chief secretary, Roy said, the person, Alifar Miyaz, is an elected member of the Gram Panchayet from the ruling party, and is also under threat by BSF "for eating beef", a normal diet in West Bengal.

Text:

I would like to draw your kind attention to the highly condemnable behaviour of a serving personnel of the BSF (Border Security Force) towards a respectable member of Mohismudi village in Cooch Behar district. Shri Alifar Miya, the husband of Smt Chalima Bibi, an elected member of the Khalisamari Gram Panchayat in Sitalkuchi block of Cooch Behar district faced intimidation, threats and mental harassment from a serving BSF personnel named, Shri Manoj Kumar of G Company. For the past three months he has been continuously harassing Shri Alifar Miya with threats to implicate him in cases on cow smuggling and other illegal activities. He also insulted him and the community for consuming beef.
Shri Alifar Miya is a respectable man and husband of elected panchayet member of the village and is known for his deep involvement in social work activities and in taking up major responsibilities in organizing community events. The concerned personnel of the BSF, Shri Manoj Kumar has been continuously harassing Shri Miya which is affecting his state of mind leading to mental health concerns.
He is finding it difficult to carry out his normal activities in the community and has been forced to go through trauma and agony due to such threats and intimidation meted out to him. On 28/09/2023, Shri Manoj Kumar barged into the residence of Shri Alifar Miya and threatened to put him behind bars on false charges. He even had the audacity to give himself an ultimatum of six months to influence the process of suspending the panchayat membership of his wife, Smt Chalima Bibi.

On the next day, i.e. 29/09/2023 the couple complained about the disturbing behaviour of Shri Kumar to the second in command of the concerned formation of the BSF. Immediately they received a call from a cell phone number (+91-7063814958) and the voice on the other end could be recognized as that of Shri Kumar.
He abused Shri Alifar Miya and used filthy words to establish the point that no one could restrain him from disturbing the peaceful existence of the couple as respected members of society. Complaints were lodged through written letters to the offices of the Inspector in Charge, Sitalkuchi Police Station; Block Development Officer, Sitalkuchi and Sub-Divisional Officer, Mathabhanga (receipted copies attached). The panchayat pradhan of the Khalisamari Gram Panchayat has also attested his signature to the letters. Despite approaching the members of the police and civic authorities, no notable action has been taken to date.
The BSF stationed in West Bengal are becoming threat to life and livelihood of bordering populace of the state. Now they are attacking the elected members of the local-self-government too. We would urge you to take immediate measures in conducting a speedy enquiry into the matter and direct the concerned department to take appropriate action against Shri Manoj Kumar. It should set a precedence to ensure that such harassment is not faced by any other person from men in uniform in border villages.
Thanking you, in anticipation of a favourable response from your end.

Comments

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Gujarat agate worker, who fought against bondage, died of silicosis, won compensation

Raju Parmar By Jagdish Patel* This is about an agate worker of Khambhat in Central Gujarat. Born in a Vankar family, Raju Parmar first visited our weekly OPD clinic in Shakarpur on March 4, 2009. Aged 45 then, he was assigned OPD No 199/03/2009. He was referred to the Cardiac Care Centre, Khambhat, to get chest X-ray free of charge. Accordingly, he got it done and submitted his report. At that time he was working in an agate crushing unit of one Kishan Bhil.

Budget for 2018-19: Ahmedabad authorities "regularly" under-spend allocation

By Mahender Jethmalani* The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC's) General Body (Municipal Board) recently passed the AMC’s annual budget estimates of Rs 6,990 crore for 2018-19. AMC’s revenue expenditure for the next financial year is Rs 3,500 crore and development budget (capital budget) is Rs 3,490 crore.

Licy Bharucha’s pilgrimage into the lives of India’s freedom fighters

By Moin Qazi* Book Review: “Oral History of Indian Freedom Movement”, by Dr Licy Bharucha; Pp240; Rs 300; Published by National Museum of Indian Freedom Movement The Congress has won political freedom, but it has yet to win economic freedom, social and moral freedom. These freedoms are harder than the political, if only because they are constructive, less exciting and not spectacular. — Mahatma Gandhi The opening quote of the book by Mahatma Gandhi sums up the true objective of India’s freedom struggle. It also in essence speaks for the multitudes of brave and courageous individuals who aspired to get themselves jailed for the cause of the country’s freedom. A jail term was a strong testimony and credential of patriotism for them. The book has been written by Dr Licy Bharucha, an academically trained political scientist and a scholar of peace studies and Gandhian studies, who was closely associated throughout her life with those who made the struggle for India’s independence the primar...

Justice for Zubeen Garg: Fans persist as investigations continue in India and Singapore

By Nava Thakuria* Even a month after the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore under mysterious circumstances, thousands of his fans and admirers across eastern India continue their campaign for “ JusticeForZubeenGarg .” A large digital campaign has gained momentum, with over two million social media users from around the world demanding legal action against those allegedly responsible. Although the Assam government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has arrested seven people, and a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to oversee the probe, public pressure for justice remains strong.

Warning bells for India: Tribal exploitation by powerful corporate interests may turn into international issue

By Ashok Shrimali* Warning bells are ringing for India. Even as news drops in from Odisha that Adivasi villages, one after another, are rejecting the top UK-based MNC Vedanta's plea for mining, a recent move by two senior scholars Felix Padel and Samarendra Das suggests the way tribals are being exploited in India by powerful international and national business interests may become an international issue. In fact, one has only to count days when things may be taken up at the United Nations level, with India being pushed to the corner. Padel, it may be recalled, is a major British authority on indigenous peoples across the world, with several scholarly books to his credit.

Search This Blog