RANCHI: The Jharkhand high court on Tuesday, October 1, postponed the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) pertaining to alleged infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals and allegations of planned occupations of land in Santhal division of the state for around two weeks.
Hearing on the petition, the court scheduled the matter for next hearing on November 13, after it was informed that the state government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) into the matter before the Supreme Court, which is yet to be listed for hearing in the apex court.
The postponement of the hearing by the court arrived on the heels of Union Government submission of an affidavit before the court stating, the state government has opposed the constitution of a combined fact finding committee of Union and state officials on Bangladeshi infiltration issue, as directed by the court.
The Jharkhand state government has informed about challenging the high court directives, dealing with formation of a fact finding committee comprise of members nominated by the Union and state government during a meeting. “Thus the state government has not compiled with the high court order,” stated the affidavit submitted by the Union government on Monday, September 30.
It further mentioned, that the primary responsibility for the identification of illegal infiltrators lies with the state government which has not taken any action in this regard, however the Union government is ready to assist the state government in all possible measures. The Union government is in favour of constitution of a fact finding committee as per the court’s directives, it added.
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According to the inputs, the information about the state government’ decision to challenge the court order was conveyed to the Union secretary by the Jharkhand’s state secretary during a meeting held between the officials on Sunday, September 29. The state secretary has further informed that the state government, however is willing to discuss ways to prevent infiltration in the next meeting.
Notably, the high court during the previous hearing of the matter on September 20 has directed both the Union and the state government to constitute a joint fact finding committee to deal with the identification of alleged illegal infiltrators in the state.
Meanwhile reacting on the development, Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand State Assembly, Amar Kumar Bauri in a post on social media alleged, that the incumbent state government is a well-wisher of the Bangladeshis.
बांग्लादेशियों के हितैषी हेमंत सरकार का कारनामा देखिए ⏬
झारखंड में हुए बांग्लादेशी घुसपैठ पर 17 सितंबर को हुई सुनवाई में हाई कोर्ट के एक्टिंग चीफ जस्टिस सुजीत नारायण प्रसाद तथा जस्टिस एसके द्विवेदी ने केंद्र और राज्य सरकार से इस मामले में जांच के लिए उच्च स्तरीय समिति गठन करने… pic.twitter.com/4cdNVIicEc
— Amar Kumar Bauri (@amarbauri) September 30, 2024
The state government has filed a SLP in the Supreme Court against the high court order. Jharkhand’s identity is being looted and the government is hiring the country’s most expensive lawyer at state’s expense to prevent the formation of an inquiry committee on the Bangladesh infiltration issue, added Bauri.
Petition against illegal infiltration in Santhal Pargana
Notably, a petition was filed before the Jharkhand high court by petitioner Danial 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 by occupying their lands through means of conversion and marriages.
The petition further had underscored the possible involvement of certain banned Bangladeshi groups behind the surge in such cases. The court after hearing on the plea had issued directives to the state and the Union governments to fetch an action plan for identification and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators from the state on July 3. The court had also instructed the DCs of all the district under the Santhal division to come up with an action plan to prevent illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators from entering the state.
State government submission before the High Court
Weeks after the directives of the court, the state government in an affidavit filed before the high court during the previous hearing of the matter in August had submitted that no infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals has been registered in Santhal division.
The submission attracted critical response from the high court’s bench. 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 the government’s submission had warned of contempt cases, if the declaration made by officials turned out to be untrue.
Union Government reply
Meanwhile, the Union government too filed a consolidated report before the Jharkhand high court, submitting 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.
Following the submission of both the parties, the court directed both the governments to form a fact finding committee to identify illegal infiltration in the State.
It is to be noted that the issue of illegal infiltration of Bangladeshis in the state, particularly in Santhal, a bordering division adjacent to West Bengal has been at the forefront of political war between the ruling alliance and the opposition leaders lately.
The tribal dominated state is set to hold assembly elections in the upcoming months, where infiltration issue in all likelihood is expected to take a central stage in tribal dominated pockets, particularly in Santhal.
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