In a strongly worded letter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Kirity Roy, Secretary of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), has exposed the ongoing and systematic human rights violations faced by residents of East Sahebganj, a border village in the Dinhata-II Block of Cooch Behar district, West Bengal.
Roy’s appeal highlights the grim conditions under which villagers live, citing oppressive restrictions by the Border Security Force (BSF) and longstanding government neglect. "Despite living on Indian soil, the people of East Sahebganj are trapped between the border fence and the actual international boundary, their movement controlled by BSF through a single gate that opens only three times a day," Roy stated.
According to Roy, basic amenities such as roads, electricity, healthcare, and clean water are virtually non-existent in the village. “This is not merely about lack of development. It is about deliberate deprivation. Villagers are forced to live in what can only be described as open-air prisons,” he emphasized.
Roy noted that the BSF has routinely obstructed agricultural activities, denied access to fertilizers and irrigation, and imposed arbitrary controls over the sale of produce. He further alleged that the BSF’s failure to secure the zero-point of the border has allowed frequent livestock thefts by intruders from Bangladesh, while farmers remain helpless.
The letter paints a heartbreaking picture of children missing out on education and villagers struggling to access healthcare, even in emergencies. “People have died waiting for the BSF gate to open,” Roy wrote. “In many cases, residents have had to cross into Bangladesh for medical treatment — a damning reflection of the state’s failure.”
Social and cultural life, too, has been deeply affected. “Even weddings and funerals require BSF permission. This level of intrusion into private life is not only humiliating but also unconstitutional,” Roy asserted.
Roy called on the NHRC to urgently intervene by directing the Ministry of Home Affairs and the BSF to lift the movement restrictions and restore fundamental rights. He also demanded a probe into the utilization of the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) funds in East Sahebganj, stating, “If Your Hon'ble Commission seeks a report from the concerned department about utilisation of the BADP fund in that village, everything will be open.”
In his concluding remarks, Roy urged the Commission to take suo-motu cognizance of the matter and hold both state and central authorities accountable for what he termed a “blatant dereliction of constitutional duty.”
“The people of East Sahebganj are law-abiding citizens of this country. Their suffering has gone on for far too long,” Roy warned. “It is time the government reclaimed its responsibility and treated them with the dignity they deserve.”
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