RANCHI: Union government has filed a consolidated report before the Jharkhand High Court, weeks after the court asked both the state and the Union Government to filed a reply in connection with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking enquiry into infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals and changing demography in Santhal division.
In the reply filed on Thursday, September 12, the Centre has revealed that the population of the Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Santhal region has reduced by 16 per cent as compared to the year 1951. The reply further noted that the Christian population of the area has increased by 6000 times in the corresponding period while the six districts of the division have witnessed an increase of Muslim population by 20 to 40 per cent in certain pockets.
“The share of population of scheduled tribes in Santhal Pargana in the year 1951 was 44.67 per cent which became 28.11 per cent in 2011, However, quantum of decrease in tribal population due to outward migration, low child birth rate among tribal, conversion to Christianity and other reasons need to be assessed,” informed the Union Government in the affidavit filed before the court, as reported by The New Indian Express.
In the 1951 census, the total population of Santhal Pargana in the 1951 census was 23,22,092 of which Hindus were 90.37 per cent, Muslims 9.43 per cent, and Christians 0.18 per cent. In 2011, the total population increased to 69,69,097 of which Hindus were 67.95 per cent, Muslims 22.73 per cent and Christians 4.21 per cent while the tribal population share of the total population was 28.11 per cent, it added.
The Centre’s reply also noted about incidents of transfer of tribal land to non-tribal through misuse of loopholes in existing land laws such as transfer by affidavit of “gift deeds”. It further emphasised that the state government has already been given rights to take legal action against any infiltration by foreign nationals.
Other than the Union Government, a reply was also filed by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which stated that although Aadhaar can identify be a unique identity but it cannot be the basis of Citizenship. The misuse of Aadhar can be identified and prevented, it added. After filing of the affidavit, the court scheduled the next hearing on the matter on September 17 due to technical difficulties in proceeding with the hearing.
Earlier representing the union government, Solicitor General of India (SG), Tushar Mehta, during the previous hearing of the matter on September 5 had informed the court, that the growing presence of Bangladeshi infiltrator in Santhal Pargana of the state is alarming and the infiltrators could also enter other states through Jharkhand and affect the population there.
The dwindling of population of tribal community in Santhal due to Bangladeshi infiltrators is a serious issue and the union government is studying it profoundly. The government will soon file a consolidated affidavit on this sensitive issue after consulting with all the stake holders including the IB and the Border Security Force (BSF), informed SG Mehta on September 5.
Affidavit filed by the state government
Notably the state government had also filed an affidavit before the court in its previous hearing on the matter in August. In the affidavit filed by the state government it was claimed that no infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals have been registered in Santhal Division.
Reacting to the the affidavit filed by Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of all the six district of Santhal division , a bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice AK Rai while expressing their bewilderment over it had warned that contempt cases will be filed if the declaration made by them turned out to be untrue. The court’s observation had come during the hearing held on September 5.
Significantly, a petition was filed before the court by petitioner Daniel Danish who claimed that a surge has been noted in emergence of Madrasas in the Santhal region along incidents linked to illegal infiltrators exploiting local women of Scheduled Tribes (ST) community and occupying their lands through means of conversion and marriages which needs to be stopped. The petition further underscored the possible planned involvement of certain banned Bangladeshi groups behind the surge in such cases
The High Court after hearing the plea of the petitioner had issued directives to the state and union governments to make an action plan to identify and deport illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators from tribal-dominated Santhal division of the state on July 3. The court had also instructed the DCs of all the district under the Santhal division to prepare an action plan and take steps to stop illegal Bangladeshi intruders from entering the state.
Tug of war over infiltration issue
It is to be noted that the issue of infiltration in Santhal division has been at the forefront of verbal confrontation between the ruling alliance and the opposition leaders lately, where the latter have been accusing the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) led coalition government for going soft against the alleged infiltrators for the sake of appeasement politics.
Reiterating the party’s position on the matter following Centre’s recent submission before the court, Leader of Opposition, Amar Kumar Bauri in a post on X, said that “It’s clear that Jharkhand need National Register for Citizens (NRC).
बात स्पष्ट है : झारखंड को NRC की जरूरत है ! #JharkhandNeedsNRC
संताल में आदिवासियों की आबादी 44% से घट कर 28% हो गयी !
पाकुड़ और साहिबगंज में मुसलमानों की आबादी 35% बढ़ी, एनआरसी की जरूरत 🚨 pic.twitter.com/oBuoA95fic
— Amar Kumar Bauri (@amarbauri) September 13, 2024
It must be noted that many of the senior leaders of the party including the Godda’s MP, Nishikant Dubey and Jharkhand BJP president, Babu Lal Marandi have been continuously attacking the ruling alliance over the infiltration issue citing it a grave threat for national security.
Moreover, the concerned flagged by the senior BJP leaders has also received validation from former JMM leader and ex-Chief Minister of the state, Champai Soren who recently has switched sides by joining BJP. In a recent statement Champai has backed the campaign against the alleged infiltrators, citing that the tribal community is facing an existential crisis due to change in demography in Santhal Division, the eastern most administrative division of the state encompassing Dumka, Pakur, Jamtara, Godda, Deoghar and Sahibganj districts.
Though despite the aggressive campaigns by the opposition leaders mainly of the BJP, the leaders of the ruling alliance have downplayed the accusations claiming that the issue has been made up in a way to gain political advantage in the upcoming assembly elections scheduled to be held in later part of the year.
