RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court, after hearing arguments from both sides on Friday, has kept its order reserved in the PIL seeking probe on Bangladeshi intrusion and changing demography of Santhal Pargana region.
The PIL has been filed by a Jamshedpur based social activist Daniel Danish. During the hearing on Friday senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing on behalf of the state government questioned the timing of the PIL saying why the case is being filed at the time of elections. The court, however, said that that what is the harm in it if a committee is formed to investigate the matter.
In its counter affidavit filed in the Jharkhand High Court on the last date, the Central Government had revealed that the tribal population in the region has decreased by 16 per cent. The Centre also informed the High Court that the Muslim population has increased by 20 to 40 percent in six different districts of Santhal Pargana while the number of Christians in these areas has increased by 6000 times. Earlier also, the central government had informed the Court that diminishing population of tribals in Santhal Pargana region of Jharkhand is a serious matter.
Interestingly, Deputy Commissioners of the six Santhal Pargana districts – Pakur, Sahibganj, Dumka, Godda, Deoghhar and Jamtara, in their affidavits filed earlier in the case had declared that no Bangladeshi intrusion has taken place in their districts.
Expressing surprise over their denial over infiltration in the region, the court had warned the concerned DCs that if even a single infiltration is found in their districts, a contempt case will be initiated against them.
According to the Central Government, the infiltration is assessed to have taken place through Sahibganj and Pakur districts mainly, which are contiguous to West Bengal. The infiltrators preferred these areas because of common dialect which helped their integration, it said.
