RANCHI: Amid the controversy over demographic change in Santhal Pargana in Jharkhand, a report has revealed that Bangladeshi infiltrators are debt-trapping tribal families and then marrying their daughters to release them from the liability.
The report was submitted to the President, Jharkhand Governor and the Union Home Minister by a member of the Scheduled Tribes Commission Asha Lakra, it is based on a survey conducted in six districts of Santhal Pargana by the commission members.
The report claimed that Bangladeshis marry tribal women and then they hijack power by bringing them into politics. Under the guise of making him the village head, they pursue their own interests, obtaining ration cards and Aadhar cards by occupying the land,this is a threat to national security, it said.
The 32-page report indicates a large-scale change in the demography of Santhal Pargana as Bangladeshi infiltrators have rapidly increased in Sahibganj and other districts after 1971.
“It is difficult to estimate the actual number of infiltrators as the figures of Bangladeshi infiltrators keep changing. But during investigation, evidence has been found which confirms large scale Bangladeshi infiltration,” stated the report submitted by the ST Commission.
“In Sahibganj, tribal families are being entrapped by getting them into debt trap by giving loans of Rs 5000, which gradually end up with a debt of over Rs 50, 000 within a few months. In case of non-payment, Bangladeshis demand their daughters to marry them against the debt,” said Asha Lakra. They are also grabbing tribal land through donation deeds obtained from the notary, she added.
Notably, under the Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act, the tribals cannot sell their land to anyone, and hence, the intruders have found a new way to grab their land. The intruders get ‘Daan Patra’ (donation letters) from the tribals by preparing fake documents and make then donate the land, which is then used for illegal work.
According to Lakra, the tribal family is also offered money against that. “Bangladeshis first marry tribal women and then they bring them into politics and hijack power to fulfill their selfish interests under the guise of making them village head. They obtain ration cards and Aadhar cards by occupying the tribal land which is a threat to the national security,” said the SC Commission member. In Santhal Pargana, there are many such small settlements or groups like ‘Jamaipada’ (Jamaitola) where Bangladeshi intruders have settled villages by marrying tribal girls, she added.
“Moreover, if a Pahadia or tribal family has more land and property, then Bangladeshi intruders are entrapping their girls through ‘land-jihad’ by marrying the girls through love jihad,” said Lakra. In a latest example, Bangladeshis are grabbing the land of tribals in Bhojpur under Borio block of Sahibganj.
According to Lakra, despite the implementation of the atrocity act, people from the ST community are not getting the expected support under the provisions. She added that when people from the ST community file atrocity act cases, the cases are not taken into cognizance by the administration.