Six more Bangladeshis were arrested by Kerala Police on June 25 in a joint operation by the Police Special Branch, Anti-Terrorism Squad and the Bharatiya Navy in Eroor, Trippoonithura, near Kochi. They had been living illegally in Eroor, Trippoonithura, in two rented houses. They are Meydi Hassan (32), Mohammed Assim (39), Tarekh (21), Sokhir (17), Mohammed Sohail (33) and Mohammed Mijan.
They had been collecting scrap and junk. However, they did not possess the required documents or legal permission to stay in Bharat.
The investigation agencies have launched a detailed enquiry into their entry into Keralam, the support chain that helped them reach Kochi, and their other links. They are also investigating whether there is any major network engaged in illegal migration.
On June 24, the Kerala Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested 19-year-old Moshiur Khan alias Aman Khan, who was allegedly residing and studying at the Shariathul Islam Madrasa under the Karunagappally Puthentheruvu Muslim Jamaath mosque without valid passport, visa or legal entry documents. Authorities recovered forged Bharatiya documents, including an Aadhaar card, ration card and voter ID card, from his possession.
The arrest has triggered further investigations into alleged local support networks. Reports suggest that the accused was provided shelter, madrasa education and assistance in obtaining local documents by individuals and religious leaders in the Karunagappally area. The incident follows the earlier arrest of a Bangladeshi couple from nearby Chavara and Karunagappally, who were also found with fake identity documents, prompting agencies to intensify their probe into illegal immigration and forged identity networks in the region.
Kerala has been hearing about the illegal stay of Bangladeshis over the last several months. They have allegedly been engaged in running restaurants, studying in madrasas, living as manual labourers, and, in one case, even residing despite being an alleged ultra-terrorist, while some others have been staying without stating any specific reason.
There are reports that the Kerala Police and the Anti-Terrorist Squad are conducting further investigations into the modus operandi through which illegal migrants enter the state and utilise local networks to establish false identities and secure shelter in religious institutions.
There are an estimated 3.5 million to 4 million migrant workers in Kerala. They are from about 25 states across Bharat. In Perumbavoor alone, their strength is estimated to be between 100,000 and 150,000. Keralites believe that thousands of Bangladeshis are among them because, due to the similarity in languages, it is difficult to distinguish who is Indian and who is Bangladeshi.
The mainstream political parties, particularly leaders from the CPM and the Congress, are not ready to call a spade a spade. According to critics, a soft approach towards Bangladeshis is part of minority vote-bank and appeasement politics.
Consequently, many people pin their hopes on Hindu organisations, particularly the RSS, BJP and other Sangh-inspired organisations, with regard to this issue.
However, it is a dangerous situation. Why are they coming to Kerala? The answer is simple. In Kerala, the two powerful Fronts—the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF)—are soft on them, thanks to their vote-bank politics of minority appeasement.
