By Nava J Thakuria
Expressing utter dismay over the incident of physical assaults on two local residents of Mangaldoi in central Assam by a group of Bangladeshi origin vendors recently, an influential anti-influx body urged the concerned authorities to take necessary actions.
Prabajan Virodhi Manch (PVM) in a media statement argued that Mangaldoi municipal board and Darrang district police chief must take legal actions against the offenders, who are agricultural produce vendors of Bangladeshi origin.
“On 24 April, Jiten Deka went to sell his vegetable produce in the daily market, operated by the municipal board in Mangaldoi. As soon as he entered the market, Deka wasobstructed and later beaten up severely by those of Bangladeshi origin individuals, who also worked as vendors there. Deka’s son Sasanka came to hisassistance and he was also beaten up by them. Sasanka was even admitted in Mangaldoi civil hospital,” said PVM convenor Upamanyu Hazarika.Hazarika, a Supreme Court lawyer.
He added that the entire incident was captured on video and itwent viral on social media, following which various Guwahati-based satellite news channels telecast it. Deka’s wife lodged a complaint at Mangaldoi police station on the same day, but no action was taken. Later when a group of Howly village residents organised aprotest demonstration, the complaint was registered on 4 May and one person was arrested.
“The video very clearly showed several persons beating andchasing both the victim father and son, but only one person has been arrested.Even the Mangaldoi municipal board did not take any action against theconcerned vendors,” asserted Hazarika.
A group of PVM representatives later met the municipal board chairperson Nirmali Devi and urged her to immediately cancel the licenses of those offendingvendors and prohibit them from selling their produce in the market. Darrangsuperintendent of police Prakash Sonowal was also approached by the PVM team on17 May and raised the demand for legal actions against those offenders.
“This incident reflects the increase in atrocities of Bangladeshis in Assam, following the BJP’s policy of appeasement of Bangladeshi Muslims by seeking their votes in the ongoing general elections 2024. They are further emboldened and encouraged by the fact that Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma scuttled the re-verification of Assam’s National Register of Citizensdraft as well as the safeguards in terms of land, job, trade and reservation on1951 NRC basis recommended by a committee, which was set up by the State governmentin Dispur itself,” stated Hazarika.
In another incident, two 13 years old Bodo girls were raped by Bangladeshis and 19 years old brother Hiranmay Khaklary was murdered by those rapists in Dudhnoi locality of western Assam. All these incidents only demonstrate the probable future of indigenous peoplein the region. Until and unless NRC re-verification is carried out, 80 Lakhs Bangladeshis detected as the foreigners, safeguarded the rights of indigenous people on land, job, trade, etc Assam will head towards becoming a Bangladeshi majority State very soon, lamented Hazarika.
