In a significant disclosure, the Central Government has reported the presence of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in Jharkhand. The revelation came through an affidavit submitted to the Jharkhand High Court, detailing the unchecked entry of Bangladeshis via the Sahebgunj and Pakur districts.
The affidavit, presented before a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai, highlights several socio-economic shifts in the region, including the transfer of tribal lands through gift deeds and an observed decrease in the tribal population attributed to high conversion rates and low birth rates among the indigenous communities.
Pratap Singh Rawat, undersecretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, expressed concerns over the outward migration of tribals from the Santhal Parganas, which he noted as a contributing factor to the dwindling number of indigenous residents. The affidavit also sheds light on the significant rise in the number of madrasas in the said districts over recent years, suggesting that the infiltrators’ familiarity with the local dialect has facilitated their integration and concealment within the local populace.
The court proceedings were part of a hearing on two Public Interest Litigations (PILs). The first, filed by Soma Oraon, addresses the issue of tribal conversions in the Santhal Parganas, alleging that tribals are being systematically converted to other religions. The second PIL, by Daniel Danish, focuses on the illegal immigrants’ tactics in land acquisition and falsification of documents to pose as state residents.
The Central Government’s affidavit also references the broader national context, mentioning similar immigration issues in Assam and highlighting the porous nature of India’s 4096.7-km border with Bangladesh, which complicates the enforcement of immigration laws.
