Dalit villagers' crop destroyed: 'Security forces, Bangla infiltrators responsible'

By A Representative
A senior human rights leader, in a representation to the National Commission For Scheduled Castes chairperson, has drawn its attention "over pathetic situation" of farmers living in the Mahishmri village, Sitalkuchi block of Cooch Behar district, off the India-Bangladesh border, saying, they have lost standing crop worth Rs 1.25 lakh because of the restrictions imposed by the Border Security Force on reaching their farms.

Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), said, "Not only the standing crop, the Bangladeshi intruders vandized 13 shallow systems used to irrigate more the lands."

The complaint said, "All the farmers belong to the schedule caste community. They have agrarian land measuring around 215 acres, which is surrounded by the border fence. Around 120 families of this village are totally dependent on this mentioned land, as agriculture is the only source of living."

"The land could be approached and reached through the Gate No 10 of Kamol Border Outpost of 157 Border Security Force Battalion. The land is fertile and yield thrice in a year. As the high yielding lands demand greater agrarian attention, they also require visit of the farmers and agrarian labourers thrice a day", it added.

However, Roy regretted, "The posted BSF at the mentioned gate arbitrarily open and close the gate according to their whims between 7-8 in morning, 12-1 during noon and 4-5 during evening. Compounding the difficulty, Bangladeshi cattle often graze the standing crops, and the posted BSF personnel only witness the loss without any intervention."

According to Roy, "The farmers of the village made several requests to BSF for protection of their crops. Due to this continuous crop loss, two months back, an altercation broke between Indian and Bangladeshi residents. On April 20, 2024, revengeful Bangladeshi residents illegally entered the Indian soil and sprayed poison on standing boro paddy in two acres of land. The yield was totally destroyed by this act."

Some of the affected farmers

Roy said, "The farmers owning this 37 acres of land failed to irrigate boro paddy due to absence of shallows and faced crop loss. The vandalization of shallows resulted in a loss of Rs 1.30 lakh, ten thousand rupees per shallow."

He further said, "While this incident was informed to the Company Commander of Kamol BOP of 157 Battalion of BSF Ratan Sarkar, he met his Bangladeshi counterpart in a Flag Meeting on April 24, 2024, but refused to divulge the decisions and topics of the meeting to the villagers. He even advised to the villagers that they have to live amicably with the Bangladeshis."

Worse, asserted Roy, the BSF official "cautioned the villagers on making any complaints to any departments/ agencies. He said if the villagers defied his diktat and make any complaints to any authority, then they will be restricted to visit their lands, which is surrounded by the border fence."

The complaint continued, "The farmers discussed the issue with local Member of Assembly Baren Barman, who advised the villagers to make complaints before the respective Block Development Officer and Sub Divisional Officer."

"On April 26, 2024, the farmers went to the Sitalkuchi Police Station to submit a written complaint, at first instance. The Officer in Charge refused to accept the complaint but after prolonged persuasion, though he accepted the complaint but refused to provide a receipt copy of the complaint", it added.

On April 26, 2024, Roy said, "The villagers met the respective BDO and informed him about their loss; he asked the villagers to make written complaint, and after making the same, he assured the villagers that he will investigate the allegation. Villagers subsequently submitted a written and mass memorandum to the respective BDO, SDO and Agricultural Officer, but till date no corrective measures has been taken."

He demanded penal action against respective posted border guards of the Kamol Border Outpost of 157 Border Security Force Battalion and the Officer in Charge of Sitalkuchi Police Station in Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989. He also insisted that "BSF must stop illegal and arbitrary restriction on movements of citizens."

Comments

Mergers and privatisation: The Finance Minister’s misguided banking agenda

By Thomas Franco The Finance Minister has once again revived talk of merging two or three large public sector banks to make them globally competitive. Reports also suggest that the government is considering appointing Managing Directors in public sector banks from the private sector. Both moves would strike at the heart of India’s public banking system . Privatisation undermines the constitutional vision of social and economic justice, and such steps could lead to irreversible damage.

Political misfires in Bihar: Reasons behind the Opposition's self-inflicted defeat

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The Bihar Vidhansabha Election 2025 verdict is out. I maintained deliberate silence about the growing tribe of “social media” experts and their opinions. Lately, these do not fascinate me. Anyone forming an opinion solely on the basis of these “experts” lives in a fool’s paradise. I do not watch them, nor do I follow them on Twitter. I stayed away partly because I was not certain of a MahaGathbandhan victory, even though I wanted it. But my personal preference is not the issue here. The parties disappointed.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

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...

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...

Only one Indian national park rated ‘good’ by IUCN: Concerns over ecological governance

By A Representative Environmental policy expert Shankar Sharma has written to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and its affiliated institutions, expressing grave concern over India’s deteriorating ecological health. Citing the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s latest global review, which found that only Khangchendzonga National Park received a “Good” rating among 107 national parks, Sharma warned that the findings reveal a “serious concern for the overall health of the country’s flora, fauna, and environment.”

Whither GIFT City push? Housing supply soars in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, not Ahmedabad

By Rajiv Shah A new report by a firm describing itself as a "digital real estate transaction and advisory platform," Proptiger , states that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has been the largest contributor to housing units among India's top eight cities currently experiencing a real estate boom. Accounting for 26.9% of all new launches, it is followed by Pune with 18.7% and Hyderabad with 13.6%. These three cities collectively represented 59.2% of the new inventory introduced during the third quarter (July to September 2025), which is the focus of the report’s analysis.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Search This Blog