Women being kept with criminals in detention camps in Assam: Ajmal

0
617

Abu Zafar for IndiaTomorrow.net,

New Delhi, May 03: Lok Sabha MP and president of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) Maulana Badruddin Ajmal on Tuesday accused the Assam BJP government of harassing a large number of local people raising doubts over their citizenship.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Ajmal, who represents the Muslim-dominated Dhubri constituency of Assam in the Lok Sabha, alleged that government officials come to houses in plain clothes in the night without any female officer and ask women to produce Identity Card. If they fail to do so, then they drag them to vehicles and put in detention camps set up in unknown locations, said Ajmal. He also alleged that in detention camps, women are kept with men who are facing serious criminal charges.

“And no one from outside are allowed to meet these women in the detention camps,” alleged perfume baron AIUDF chief adding that “Thousands of such cases are happening in the state.”

“In the current situation, it seems, a certain community speaking a particular language is being targeted,” Ajmal said.

The number of such alleged incidents has increased since the last month when a bench of Gauhati High Court rejected the petition of a woman named Manowara Bewa against the order of Foreigners’ Tribunal in Dhubri. The tribunal in its order dated 17th March 2016 had declared Manowara Bewa a foreigner. The High Court said that residency certificates issued by Panchayat secretary can’t be used as a ‘link document’ to prove nationality.

What is Link Document?
In 1985, under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, an accord was signed by all concerned parties in Assam. This pact is known as Assam Accord of 1985. According to this pact, only those people can be considered as a legitimate citizen who came here till midnight of 24 March 1971. But those who born here after this date and don’t have any proof will need to have a ‘link document’ which should prove that their parents were here in the state before the cut-off date. Women who born after 24 March 1971 and don’t have school leaving certificate usually take the residence certificate from panchayat as a ‘link document’ when they marry and shift to another village.

Ajmal claimed that after the High Court judgment, around 48 lakh married women have been rendered illegal migrants in the state because they were born after the cut-off date and have only panchayat certificate as link document.

He said that there are a number of similar cases pending in the Supreme Court will be heard from May 8. He has already challenged the Assam Accord in the apex court.

The issue of illegal migrants in Assam is very old and a number of riots and violent incidents have taken place over the issue in the last few decades claiming thousands of lives.

In the press conference, which was also addressed by Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind general secretary Mahmood Madni, Ajmal, who is state head of Jamiat, said they will fight for justice for all people irrespective of religion and language.

“We are not fighting only for Muslims but we stand with all victims who are facing such difficulties,” said two-time MP from Dhubri.

Assam has over 34 percent Muslim population which is the second largest after the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here