Latest news with #Bengalis
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'If I go back...': Pakistani-origin activist Shoaib Sohail says UK will deport him as he supports Tommy Robinson
Pakistani-origin activist Shoaib Sohail said he was sacked from Swansea Council because of his support for Tommy Robinson and he was threatened by the council to delete his X account and YouTube. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In an interview with GB News, Sohail said the UK has been his country since 2008 and he does not like the people of his own community who just illegally enter the UK. Sohail said his community tried to silence him through threats, intimidation and lies. When all of these failed, they sent the police after him and he was arrested on false accusations. In a long X post in which he announced that his journey in UK has been forced to come to an end, Sohail wrote that the final blow came to him when he lost his job with Swansea Council. With no job in the UK, now he has no other option to stay in the country. "What many don't know is that I am not entitled to any benefits in the UK. I never needed them, I always had good jobs and took pride in standing on my own two feet. In fact, I once wrote to the Home Office declining benefits because I saw how many illegal immigrants were taking advantage of the system. That email is also attached below," Sohail wrote. "I haven't yet decided where I will go. I hold a Pakistani passport, and sadly, that alone has closed doors. Many companies in Dubai and Saudi Arabia have effectively shadow-banned Pakistani applicants, making it incredibly hard to get a job. That leaves only Pakistan not out of desire, but out of necessity," he wrote. Sohail said in Pakistan, he is a known voice against religion extremist and he receive numerous death threats from Pakistanis, Afghans, Bengalis and Muslims after my interview outside Tommy Robinson's court case in London went viral. "If I go back, I know there are people who would love nothing more than to silence me permanently," Sohail said.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Illegal migration from Bangladesh has been a problem for decades. Why did no one act?
The Government of India has finally woken up to the problem of illegal immigration from Bangladesh. There are reports from different states about local police identifying the Bangladeshis and deporting them. In Delhi, during the last six months, at least 770 immigrants have been deported; some were airlifted to Tripura and the rest sent by the surface route. In Assam, the state government is systematically tracking down individuals declared illegal foreigners by the Foreigners' Tribunals and pushing them back into the no man's land between India and Bangladesh. It is reported that 30,000 people who had been declared foreign nationals by the Tribunals in Assam have just disappeared. There are reports of deportations from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana. Whatever action is being taken, however, amounts to a trickle compared to the very large number of Bangladeshis settled in India. In the wake of Partition in 1947, many Hindus crossed over to India from East Pakistan to the adjoining states of Assam, West Bengal, and Tripura. Later, however, when the Pakistan Army started persecuting the Bengalis, a large number of Muslims also crossed over to India. After the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, it was expected that the new regime would maintain communal harmony. However, that did not happen, and Bangladeshis continued to pour into India, partly due to religious discrimination but mostly for economic opportunity and in search of a better life. According to the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, nearly 3.5 million people 'disappeared' from East Pakistan between 1951 and 1961 and another 1.5 million between 1961 and 1974. Some Bangladesh intellectuals justified the mass migration of people to India as lebensraum – the legitimate movement of people from high-density to low-density areas. The Government of India's response was half-hearted. Migration slowed down only after India started fencing the 40967.7 km long border with Bangladesh. The Task Force on Border Management, headed by Madhav Godbole, in its report submitted in August 2000, said that 'there is an all-round failure in India to come to grips with the problem of illegal immigration'. The report went on to say that 'facts are well known, opinions are firmed up, and the operating system is in position, but the tragedy is that despite this, nothing substantial happens due to catharsis of deciding in this regard due to sharp division of interest among the political class'. The Task Force estimated that there were about 15 million illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the country and that about 3 lakh Bangladeshi nationals were entering India illegally every year. The Task Force report was never placed in the public domain because it was brutally honest. The very next year, in February 2001, the Group of Ministers, in their recommendations on national security, while taking care of Bangladesh's sensitivity in the matter, reiterated that 'the massive illegal immigration poses a grave danger to our security, social harmony and economic well-being'. The Supreme Court of India, in a landmark judgment in Sarbananda Sonowal v. Union of India (2005), observed that 'there can be no manner of doubt that the State of Assam is facing 'external aggression and internal disturbance' on account of large-scale illegal migration of Bangladeshi nationals' and that therefore, it is 'the duty of the Union of India to take all measures for protection of the State of Assam from such external aggression and internal disturbance as enjoined in Article 355 of the Constitution'. All these warnings by the Task Force, the Group of Ministers and the Supreme Court remained unheeded. There was no plan of action to deal with the problem. Now that our relations with Bangladesh have soured, the Government of India has started deporting the Bangladeshi illegal immigrants. The total number of illegal immigrants deported so far would be a couple of thousand only. The drive must continue — with greater vigour — whether the Bangladesh government cooperates or not. It is relevant that the US is deporting all illegal immigrants from different parts of the world. Even Pakistan has repatriated 1.3 million Afghanistan nationals back to their country. There is no reason why India should be hesitant or have any reservations about acting against illegal immigrants from any country. Meanwhile, the chief minister of Assam has given a new angle to our relations with Bangladesh when he said that Bangladesh has 'two of its own chicken necks'. One is from Dakshin Dinajpur to South-West Garo Hills, and the other is the Chittagong Corridor from South Tripura to the Bay of Bengal. The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) inhabited by the Chakma tribes, who are mostly Buddhists, are in a state of turbulence. There are serious problems of ethnic identity, land rights, and cultural preservation of the indigenous tribes. Thousands of Chakmas have fled to India and have been settled in the north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Mizoram. Was Himanta Biswa Sarma speaking on his own, or was he acting as the Centre's mouthpiece? In any case, there is food for thought. The writer is a former Member of the National Security Advisory Board and Director General, BSF
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
BJP goverments targeting Bengalis; labelling them Bangladeshi for speaking their tongue: Mamata
Accusing Bharatiya Janata Party governments in different parts of the country of targeting Bengali-speaking citizens, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that state governments are labelling residents of Bengal with valid documents as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Addressing the State Assembly, the Chief Minister said that BJP ruled governments are depriving migrant workers of their right to earn a livelihood despite their possessing voter IDs, PAN, and Aadhaar cards. 'Despite having all the legal documents. Bengalis are being pushed into Bangladesh. If anyone speaks Bengali, they become Bangladeshi? This is happening in every state that has double engine governments,' Ms. Banerjee said. Double engine discrimination The Chief Minister had in the past alleged that migrant workers from the State are being targeted in BJP ruled states. On this occasion Ms. Banerjee accused the double engine states of language based discrimination. Her remarks came a day after three residents of West Bengal, working in Mumbai were allegedly forced into Bangladesh by the BSF. The migrant workers, two from Murshidabad and one from Purba Bardhaman, however, were repatriated on Sunday to West Bengal after intervention by the State authorities. The Chief Minister also targeted the West Bengal State BJP president, Sukanta Majumadar, calling him a 'half minister.' Mr. Majumdar is the Minister of State for Education & Development of the North Eastern Region and has been embroiled in a controversy for hurling a poster resembling a pair of slippers towards a police officer during protests near the Chief Minister's residence. 'There is a half-central minister who is in love with slippers. Why don't they (BJP) open slipper shops?' she said without naming anyone. Denial of central funds Ms. Banerjee spoke out on the denial of central funds to the State. She said that the Union Government sent 155 teams to the State looking for corruption and found nothing. She stressed that funds for MGNREGA have been stopped by the Centre and the State Government has subsequently started its own scheme named 'Karmashree,' as part of which it has created 1.5 crore mandays under various schemes. 'Bengal has topped road and rural housing project rankings five times in a row... No one can derail us or stop us from realising our dreams,' the Chief Minister said. Ms. Banerjee also spoke about the political courtesy her party displayed over the Air India plane tragedy in Ahmedabad. 'BJP looted the country and sold it. Even on the day so many died in Gujarat, we didn't speak a word. That's called political courtesy,' Ms. Banerjee said. BJP legislators raised slogans while the Chief Minister was addressing the State Assembly. During proceedings in the House on Monday two BJP legislators were escorted out of the House. The BJP legislator Manoj Oraon was suspended for a day by the Speaker Biman Banerjee for unruly behaviour.
India Gazette
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
BJP holds protest rally in Agartala against attacks on Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh
Agartala (Tripura) [India], June 14 (ANI): The Sadar Urban Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organised a protest rally on Saturday in Agartala, marching from Fire Service Choumuhani to Border Golchakkar. The party leaders condemned recent incidents of violence and targeting of minority communities in Bangladesh. The rally saw the presence of several prominent BJP leaders, including Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) Mayor Dipak Majumder, senior party leader and MLA Bhagaban Das, and other local party members. The protest was sparked by reports of repeated attacks on minorities in Bangladesh and, more recently, an alleged attack on the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore--an act the BJP described as a 'deep emotional blow' to the people of India. Speaking at the rally, BJP leaders expressed outrage over what they called the 'barbaric acts' being carried out under the interim government in Bangladesh, allegedly formed with the support of the interim government chief, Md. Yunus. 'This house is not just a structure--it's a symbol of cultural heritage and pride for all Bengalis,' said one of the speakers. 'By attacking it, the perpetrators have insulted the entire Indian community,' said the senior BJP leader, MLA Bhagawan Das. This protest rally had been postponed for the victims of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad and was held today instead on 12th June. The BJP also criticised political opponents for their silence on the issue. 'Neither the Communists nor the Congress have spoken up. They remain silent on Pakistan, on West Bengal, and now on the situation in Bangladesh. But we will not be silent,' said MLA Bhagaban Das. The BJP announced that this rally marks the beginning of a larger movement. Local protests will continue across Tripura, culminating in a significant demonstration on June 16 in front of the Bangladesh Visa Office in Agartala. Party leaders urged the central government to take cognisance of the incidents and demanded strong diplomatic engagement with Bangladesh to ensure the safety of minorities and preservation of heritage sites. Bhagban Das, Senior BJP leader and MLA, speaking to ANI, said, 'Recently, an interim government was formed in Bangladesh with the help of MD Yunus. Every day, attacks and disturbances are taking place in different parts of Bangladesh. Minorities in Bangladesh are repeatedly subjected to brutal attacks, and we, the BJP of Tripura, have consistently protested against this. However, this time, the attackers have targeted something much more significant--Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh, a place of pride for our country and the heart of every Bengali.' 'This house is not just a building for us; it is a matter of deep emotional connection. The attackers didn't just target the house itself--they hurt us, the Indian people. That is why we are protesting today. This movement was originally scheduled for the 12th, but due to another unfortunate incident, the plane crash in Ahmedabad, we are holding this protest today instead,' he added. He vowed to continue their protest: 'In the coming days, there will be protests in every locality, and on the 16th, we will hold a larger movement in front of the Bangladesh Visa Office in Agartala.' (ANI)
Express Tribune
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Are Ibn Khaldun's ideas still relevant for countries like Pakistan?
The writer is an academic and researcher. He is also the author of Development, Poverty, and Power in Pakistan, available from Routledge Listen to article The dangerous skirmish with our hostile larger neighbour has sparked a rare moment of national solidarity within Pakistan — a welcome feeling given the immense political polarisation we have been experiencing in recent years. However, major ethnic, regional and socio-economic rifts remain a dominant feature within Pakistani society, and it would be wishful thinking to assume that these serious problems will melt away just because we scored an apparent short-term win over India. Carving out a new nation from colonial India, using the two-nation theory which aimed to unite diverse ethnic groups using a common religious identity, was an impressive feat. Yet, the way this rationale was operationalised through a hurried partition plan resulted in a truncated nation separated by nearly 1000 miles. A sizeable number of Muslims remained in India fearing displacement and believing that the transnational nature of their faith did not necessitate residing in a separate nation. Those who migrated to the eastern wing of Pakistan also soon discovered that a shared religious identity was not an excuse to continue tolerating hegemony by more powerful ethnic groups. The traumatic separation of Bengalis from the rest of Pakistan did not result in other ethnic groups overcoming their differences either. Not only the Balochs or Pathans, but also the Sindhis and Saraikis have their own reasons for feeling disgruntled in the sort of Pakistan we have managed to create over these past several decades. Ethnic disgruntlement is not the only problem corroding a common sense of national identity. Sectarianism and the extremist violence resulting from it remain another source of perpetual consternation. One cannot oversimplify the root causes of such ruptures and blame the Punjabis as the cause of all discord. The proxy contestation between the Soviets and the US, alongside rivalries within the Muslim world, has certainly exacerbated religious tensions in Pakistan. Suspected Indian support to militants and insurgents has added fuel to the fire. However, while these external factors exacerbated societal rifts, they cannot be blamed for creating them out of thin air. The way our post-colonial establishment has relied on top-down, patronage-based and unrepresentative models of governance must shoulder much of the blame for the glaring social tensions evident in our midst today. Perhaps it is time for our leaders and decision-makers to revisit some of the ideas put forth by thinkers closer to our own cultural roots. For instance, the work of a 14th century seminal Muslim sociologist, Ibn Khaldun, still offers relevant insights for addressing the growing polarisation in our contemporary society. Ibn Khaldun's concept of asabiyyah, or social cohesion, is particularly worthy of greater attention. Asabiyyah helps unite people and can foster solidarity through shared values which, in turn, remains essential for effective governance and the overall stability of any state. The essence of Ibn Khaldun's ideas proposes a humanist and participatory approach to governance, wherein the well-being of a given society is a paramount goal. He aptly noted how inequality leads to social fragmentation and instability, and warned about the dangers of relying solely on military strength. Ibn Khaldun certainly offers a more compelling basis for national building than the warped ideologies put forth by populist and divisive leaders who suppress dissenting voices to build hierarchical systems allowing accumulation by the few at the cost of marginalising the many. Even if the traditional characteristics identified by Ibn Khaldun to enable cohesion may be less relevant in our increasingly complex world of fluid identities, the notion of asabiyyah can be reinterpreted to prioritise universal values such as freedom, social justice and respect for differences. If our leaders can honestly embrace such ideas, we may move closer to actualising the notion of Pakistan, which is supposed to be an acronym representing all the regions that comprise this nation.
