Across the border from Bangladesh, Bengal parties in dilemma over those seeking to cross over

In the first incident of Bangladeshis trying to cross the border into Bengal after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government and incidents of minority Hindus being targeted, about 500 Bangladeshis had tried to enter through Jalpaiguri. It was foiled by the BSF. Later, around a thousand people gathered at the fenced Sitalkuchi land border area of Cooch Behar district in Bengal but were not allowed in by the BSF.

Just after the Hasina regime collapsed, senior state BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari said that “over 1 crore Hindus” may enter India from Bangladesh and that Delhi should be ready to accommodate them under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

Adhikari told reporters that with power moving into “their hands”, it was “clear” that Bangladesh’s 7% Hindus would leave. “Be prepared mentally. One crore refugees will come. We will have to receive them, our Hindu brothers. The government (Centre) has already made arrangements under the CAA,” he said. He went to Delhi next day to meet Union Homer Minister Amit Shah.

Eyeing the sizeable vote base of Matuas, the state BJP has been a strong proponent of the CAA. Matuas belong to the Namasudra community who migrated to India in waves from East Bengal during the Partition and after the formation of Bangladesh in 1971.

Although a large section of Matuas are known to support the BJP, the community has also voted for the TMC in various elections. However, Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has always been a fierce opponent of the CAA, mainly on account of the Muslim community’s opposition to it. Muslims make up a substantial chunk of the TMC’s core vote base in the state.

The CAA seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India till December 31, 2014.

The TMC had slammed Adhikari’s statement, with its spokesman Joy Prakash Majumder calling it an “absolutely provocative and immature statement”. Majumder said, “Our party stand, already expressed by Mamata Banerjee, is that in this situation we will support the stand taken by the Government of India. As West Bengal shares most of the Indo-Bangladesh border, the Centre should consult our state government before taking any decision. Our CM has also said that the Centre should ensure safe passage for Indian students and workers who are in Bangladesh while checking any exodus from there.”

The TMC government also ordered all district police chiefs to increase vigilance at entry and exit points in their areas of jurisdiction, especially those bordering Bangladesh.

Days down from Adhikari’s statement, state BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya told The Indian Express Sunday that they had “no comments” on Bangladeshis seeking refuge in India. “On this issue, whatever is necessary, the Union Home Ministry and Ministry of External Affairs will decide and make statements.”

The BJP’s caution is understandable, given its ramifications. The party is conscious of the anti-immigrant sentiment across the Northeastern region, particularly Assam and Tripura, which have dealt with Bangladeshi influx in the past and where the BJP is now the most dominant party.

At the same time, the lingering connections across the border have parties torn. BJP leader and ex-MP Swapan Dasgupta said in a post on X: “Media reports that some Bangladeshi notables who are friendly to India have been turned back at the border by BSF because they didn’t have valid visas. In effect, they were thrown to the wolves. I urge @AmitShahOffice to go beyond niceties & be more understanding towards our traditional friends in Bangladesh.”

CM Mamata Banerjee too has reflected the dilemma. Close on the heels of Hasina’s ouster, she had said while addressing the TMC’s Martyrs’ Day rally on July 21 in Kolkata that Bengal would give refuge to “helpless people from Bangladesh if they knock on its door”.

That time the state BJP had ironically castigated her. BJP MP Saumitra Khan had accused her of trying to usher in a “Greater Bangladesh” and said the party would not allow that at any cost.

Of the other parties in Bengal, the CPI(M) has maintained its traditional non-committal position over the Bangladeshi migration issue. A senior party leader said, “We are observing every development but would not like to make any statements.”

The state Congress has also refrained from making any comments on the issue so far.