By Sofiul Islam Khan,
Inamul Haque, a post-graduate from Pune University and a resident of Gokulkata village under Gossaigaon Police station of violent hit Kokrajhar district, challenged both Hagrama and Advaniji to prove him as Bangladeshi if they can. Very much upset and disappointed by the recent Bodo-Muslim clash in BTAD and subsequent allegations by Hagrama and Advaniji as they are saying it is a conflict between “DESHI AND BIDESHI”. The youth also said that their ancestors settled in Gokulkata village even before the First World War, but unfortunately not only their houses were burnt by miscreants but also they are convicted as Bangladeshi immigrants, denying their fundamental rights provided by the Indian constitution.
We visited three villages situated in the western most part of Assam bordering West Bengal and north of the National Highway No. 31 C, namely, Gokulkata, Dawaguri and Shimul Tapu PGR. All these three villages have mixed population of Bengali Muslims, Koch Rajbangshi’s, Bengali Hindu’s and Bodo’s. Surprisingly, not a single house is affected belonging to Koch Rajbangshi’s and Bengali Hindus in these three villages. Again in Dawaguri and Gokulkata only Muslims are targeted and burnt their houses and Bodo houses are remain unaffected though they fled to safer place. But in Shimul Tapu PGR Muslims are expelled completely and no single house remain standing and as a retaliation some 20 houses are burnt or damaged belonging to the Bodo community and others remain intake as the police, manned by the Ex-BLT’s, take control of the situation by firing more than thousand rounds of bullets on 24th July, 2012.
When talked to the victims at Shimul Tapu M.E. School Camp, an old man recalled his memories and says that this is for the second time that they are expelled from their own land and burnt their houses, first, in 1950, immediately after the partition that they were expelled from these villages. But after Nehru-Liaqat Pact, Government of India settled them in their own land and provided NRC of 1951, to them. Unfortunately, the memories of bitterness of those days being perished, another incident happened and they are expelled again.
Now the BTC authority saying that citizenship should be verified before rehabilitation of those people who are displaced, on the basis of land holding, 1951 NRC, 1966 voters list etc. But most of the displaced peoples left their houses, valuables and documents in hurry to save their lives, as Bodo militants are armed with sophisticated weapons, which are well known to all, and burnt everything along with their houses. Now, my question is that, what will happen to those people? As the BTC authority, themselves involved in the carnage, as it is evident from the arrest of Pradeep Brahma (MLA from Kokrajhar West), it is obviously they will try to destroy the Government Records too.
So the present BTAD violence once again placed a great question mark on Indian democracy (?) over its future and volatility. As its well known that the success of democracy lies in delivering JUSTICE, EQUALITY, LIBERTY and SAFEGAURD FOR MINORITIES etc. The Indian constitution also have such mechanism, but in BTAD Assam, there are thousands of educated youths like Inamul Haque, who thinks that they are denied Justice, equality, liberty along with right to life, property etc. even by Government functionaries.