Shona Banu, 58, recounts her harrowing experience after allegedly being pushed across the Bangladesh border at gunpoint, part of a troubling pattern in Assam where individuals are sent away without due legal process. Human rights advocates are raising alarms over these incidents, as fears of unjust deportations grow among the state's Muslim population.
"Forced Exile: Assam Residents Speak Out on Unlawful Deportations to Bangladesh"
"Forced Exile: Assam Residents Speak Out on Unlawful Deportations to Bangladesh"
In a disturbing trend, residents of Assam allege coerced deportations to Bangladesh amid citizenship controversies, raising questions about due process.
Shona Banu's story echoes a growing outcry in Assam, where she and others have been forcibly sent across the border to Bangladesh under alarming circumstances. The 58-year-old from Barpeta district was summoned to a local police station on May 25, only to find herself and 13 others coerced into crossing over to Bangladesh. Terrified and confused, Banu had spent years trying to affirm her Indian citizenship, fearing the scrutiny that many Assam residents face amid a national crackdown on alleged illegal immigration.
"It was terrifying. They pushed me over at gunpoint," she said, recalling her harrowing ordeal. Stranded without food or water for two days in a mosquito- and leech-infested area between the two nations, Banu was eventually taken to an abandoned facility in Bangladesh. She could only watch in despair as the situation unfolded. After two appalling days, Bangladeshi authorities escorted her back to India, but the reasons for her initial deportation remain shrouded in mystery.
Banu's predicament underscores a disturbing trend in Assam's ongoing struggle with undocumented immigration. Local authorities have reportedly escalated efforts to expel individuals identified as foreigners by government tribunals, with allegations of more than 1,200 illegal deportations occurring last month alone. Accounts of similar mistreatment have also emerged from other residents, predominantly Muslims, who assert their longstanding ties to the territory.
The entwined issues of citizenship and ethnic identity in Assam have only intensified these injustices. Assam's Citizenship Register, which sets stringent criteria for proving residency, has rendered thousands stateless, igniting fears among the Assamese populace concerning demographic shifts and resource allocation. Officials from the Bharatiya Janata Party, currently in power locally and nationally, have made promises to rectify the issue of illegal migration, but various legal professionals allege that inadequate processes are regularly bypassed.
Despite these allegations, the Indian government has remained relatively silent. Civilians and lawyers have increasingly sought judicial intervention against what they term "forceful and illegal pushback policies." The court’s role is seemingly being manipulated, with voices like Abdur Razzaque Bhuyan indicating the lack of collaboration between India and Bangladesh during these operations.
Many families now face anxiety over the uncertain futures of their loved ones. Maleka Khatun, now stranded in Bangladesh and lacking familial ties, voices the deep distress felt by many. Rita Khatun also shares her anguish over her husband's sudden removal and the bureaucratic battles faced by families trying to prove their citizenship in Assam.
As more individuals report unlawful deportations without just legal recourse, the stakes continue to rise. Advocates warn that the practice of pushing people across borders without due legal process undermines human dignity. "We are not playthings," asserts Sanjima Begum, whose father was also forcibly taken away, emphasizing the human cost of Assam's contentious immigrant policies. The urgent question remains whether authorities will reinstate protections for legitimate citizens, or if this shadow of fear will loom over the state indefinitely.
