Forced Across Borders: The Struggles of Alleged Illegal Immigrants in Assam

Shona Banu, a 58-year-old woman from Assam, shares her harrowing experience of being taken by police and sent to Bangladesh at gunpoint. Her story is part of a disturbing trend where authorities, citing illegal immigration concerns, have begun pushing individuals across the border without due process. This has led to increased scrutiny of the government's actions amid ongoing citizenship challenges in the region.

 

Shona Banu still shudders when she reflects on her recent ordeal. The 58-year-old resident of Barpeta district in India’s northeastern state of Assam claims that on 25 May, local police called her to the station, only to later escort her and around 13 others to the India-Bangladesh border. Fearful and bewildered, she was allegedly forced to cross into Bangladesh at gunpoint, despite living in Assam her entire life. "They pushed me over at gunpoint. I spent two days without food or water in the middle of a field in knee-deep water," she recounted, tears streaming down her face.

Her time in no man's land ended after two days when Bangladeshi officials allegedly detained her in an old prison. After a brief stay there, she, alongside others, was escorted back to India by officials. The abrupt transfer raised questions, with multiple incidents reported where individuals declared foreigners by tribunals and suspected of being “illegal Bangladeshis” were similarly moved across the border.

Reports indicate that over 1,200 people were pushed into Bangladesh during May alone, highlighting a concerning trend in Assam. Despite these claims, Indian officials remain silent, and lawyers assert that regular processes for deportation have not been followed. The Assam state, sharing a porous border with Bangladesh, has a long history of migration, leading to conflicts over citizenship and demographic shifts.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, in control of Assam, has intensified crackdowns on illegal immigration and has made the National Register of Citizens (NRC) a political priority, further complicating citizenship issues in the region. Many residents, including those with documents proving their citizenship, face uncertainties as detainment measures escalate.

Maleka Khatun, a 67-year-old woman who has currently found temporary refuge in a Bangladeshi home, illustrates the traumatic impact: "I don’t know anyone here," she lamented, torn from her life in Assam. Amidst reports of increased border patrols from Bangladeshi authorities and no comment from India, the situation remains precarious.

Some individuals have returned to India, but anxiety over further detainment looms large, as families desperately seek legal assistance. Amidst rising fears of arbitrary detentions, lawyers across Assam are pushing for court interventions to curb what they term "illegal pushback" policies. Reports surface of individuals having their cases of citizenship wrongly adjudicated or neglected.

The ongoing saga illustrates the complex interplay of nationalism, identity, and legality in Assam, inviting scrutiny over the treatment of individuals who find themselves caught in an increasingly turbulent political landscape. "These are human beings, you can't toss them around as per your whims," pleaded Sanjima Begum, whose father is caught in the crossfire of bureaucratic failures.