Latest news with #Bangladeshis
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘People who came here with dreams disgraced', say TMC MPs in Gurgaon
Gurgaon: Five Trinamool Congress MPs on Tuesday visited the city to interact with migrant workers, several of whom were rounded up and detained last week as Gurgaon police launched a drive to identify Bangladeshis and Rohingya living illegally in the city. Rajya Sabha MPs Mamata Thakur and Prakash Baraik, and Lok Sabha MPs Sharmila Sarkar, Pratima Mondal and Bapi Haldar went to Maidawas village in Sector 64, where they listened to accounts of the detention and fears of a recurrence from the settlement's largely Bengali-speaking migrant population. The MPs assured them of help by the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal govt. "West Bengal is a part of India. Our people are not Bangladeshis. Police here should behave and treat them respectfully. Many people complained of being tortured and humiliated by cops even though they had all the documents… they were detained because they spoke in Bangla. Our govt is there for our people, and we will take every step to ensure their safety," Haldar, the parliamentarian from Mathurapur Lok Sabha constituency, said. You Can Also Check: Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon Sarkar, who represents Bardhaman East in Lok Sabha, told TOI that the party delegation was sent to Gurgaon by chief minister Mamata Banerjee to address panic among people from the state after the verification drive led to many of them packing up and leaving. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Extend your summer in Mallorca Viva hotels Book Now Undo "The drive could have been handled better. These people came with dreams, but they have been disgraced in Gurgaon," Sarkar said. Starting July 18, Gurgaon police started detaining workers to follow up on the Union home ministry's May 2 directive to identify and deport illegal immigrants from the country. Around 250 people, most living in slum settlements, were detained in four 'holding centres' till police 'verified' their identity documents. Of these, 10 were eventually found to be undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh. The drive sparked a political row as TMC accused BJP of targeting Bangla-speaking workers indiscriminately. "These illegal detentions are an insult to our mother tongue and ashmita (identity)… Speaking Bangla is being treated as a crime…" Mamata Banerjee had said. A senior police officer told TOI the drive was simply to identify and deport undocumented migrants. He added that many workers were seen leaving the city to go back to their hometowns in buses with West Bengal registration plates. "We had asked West Bengal authorities to verify documents within 48 hours, but they took long, and that's why people had to stay at holding centres for four days. They were given good food, bedding and filtered water. Some people are doing politics and causing unnecessary panic, forcing people to leave," the officer said. Lok Sabha MP Mondal refuted Gurgaon police's claims that the workers were detained for days because the West Bengal govt delayed the verification process. Mondal, who represents Jaynagar constituency, said police had seized workers' mobile phones. "So, they couldn't reach out to us. Still, we responded speedily to verification queries," she said.
News18
18 hours ago
- News18
Despite Visa-Free Entry, Malaysia Denies 10 Indians Over Suspicious Travel Records
Last Updated: The Indian travellers were among 99 foreign arrivals who were refused entry on Friday after failing to meet immigration requirements Malaysia denied entry to 10 Indian nationals at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) recently, despite offering visa-free access to Indian passport holders. The Indian travellers were among 99 foreign arrivals who were refused entry on Friday after failing to meet immigration requirements. According to the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), a special seven-hour operation was carried out to screen over 400 passengers arriving on high-risk flights. Among the 99 foreign nationals denied entry at the airport, there were also 80 Bangladeshis and nine Pakistanis. The reason for denial was that these individuals did not satisfy immigration checks, including having suspicious reasons for their visit and questionable travel records. All those refused entry were men, Malay Mail reported. 'Those denied entry were all men, 80 Bangladeshi, 10 Indians and nine Pakistani. They were denied as they failed to meet immigration checks, including having suspicious reasons for visiting and travel records," a statement by the AKPS said. The agency further explained that detailed background screenings, travel document verification, and individual interviews were conducted during the operation. Those denied entry were subjected to further documentation processes before being deported back to their countries of origin, following standard legal procedures. 'They underwent further documentation processes before being deported to their countries of origin according to existing legal procedures," it said. AKPS emphasised that such enforcement actions would be carried out periodically as a proactive measure to combat human trafficking and misuse of social visit passes. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
21 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
How Assam Is Fighting Back In The 1,000-Year Demographic War Against India
Last Updated: Using a 1950 law, Assam has so far cleared more than 42,000 acres of encroached land and reportedly pushed back thousands of illegal Bangladesh and Rohingya infiltrators. In perhaps the bluntest way possible for any politician, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has made Assam a test case in countering the 1,000-year demographic war against India and over 100 years of spontaneous influx and targeted takeover of his state. Using a 1950 law, the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, the state government has so far cleared more than 42,000 acres (think 32,000 international-size football grounds) of encroached land and reportedly pushed back thousands of illegal Bangladesh and Rohingya infiltrators across the border. The Sarma's government is now planning to launch another major eviction drive in Golaghat to clear approximately 3,300 acres of land in the Rengma reserve forest at Assam's Uriamghat, bordering Nagaland. These came alongside Himanta Biswa Sarma's public statement that the Muslim population in the state had surged to 40 per cent now from 12 per cent in 1951. The drive has given voice to local marginalised tribes. Thousands of them gathered in Dhemaji district, Assam, carrying fire-torches and raising slogans of 'Bangladeshis go back". Demonstrators issued a 15-day ultimatum to illegal settlers in the forest to vacate the region, warning of consequences if the demands are not met. Assam, the rest of Northeast, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar have long been part of Al Qaeda and other Islamists' plan to create a greater Bangladesh and complete the green arc from sub-Saharan Africa to the Gulf to Af-Pak to central Asia, Kashmir and downwards. Rampant demographic takeover, Indian official slumber, and liberal whitewash of the threat have made things easy for the Islamists. But Sarma's counterattack should be a reminder of Assam's centuries-old glorious tradition of standing unconquered against invaders. Only after a decade of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, the world is coming to know about Lachit Barphukan, Assam's iconic commander who had defeated the Mughal army in the Battle of Saraighat on the waters of Brahmaputra in March 1671. Even before that, Qutb ud-Din Aibak, soon after conquering Delhi, had dispatched Ikhtiyar al-Din Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khilji on a mission to central and eastern India. 'After conquering Bihar and Bengal in 1203 AD, Khilji headed for Assam. But such was the counter-attack by the Kamrup (Assam) king Viswasundardeva that Bakhtiyar Khilji somehow managed to get back to Bengal after his entire army was literally wiped out on the banks of the Brahmaputra. The Kamrup king's victory over the first-ever Muslim invaders of Assam has been recorded in a rock inscription at Kanai-Barasi-Bowa near Guwahati," writes veteran journalist Samudra Gupta Kashyap, who has recently authored a book titled, Assam's Great Heroes Who Fought the Muslim Invasions. It also mentions the heroism of kings and chiefs like Indra Narayan, Chakradhwaj, Nilambar, Chilarai, Indrapratap Narayan, Parikshit, Sonatan, Balinarayan, Madhusudan, Parasuram, Jadu Nayak, Susengpha, Momai-Tamuli Barbarua, Tangchu Sandikui and several others who had vanquished invaders who had superior firepower. Today, Sarma claims that land more than the area of Chandigarh has been freed from encroachers in Assam, and much more action is coming up. Assam could be the test case for the rest of Bharat, especially West Bengal, where demographic change encouraged by the ruling TMC could some day bring the state to the brink of a third, bloody Partition. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Borneo Post
a day ago
- Borneo Post
15 Bangladeshis on KL flight detained at Kuching airport, suspected counterfeit stamps found in passports
The Bangladeshi men are seen at KIA. – Photo from Facebook/Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia Sarawak KUCHING (July 29): A total of 15 Bangladeshi men were detained straight after they arrived at Kuching International Airport (KIA) yesterday afternoon. The Sarawak Immigration Department said in a Facebook post that the men were detained at around 12.50pm upon their arrival on a flight from Kuala Lumpur. 'Initial checks revealed that none of them had valid entry records in the Immigration Department's system. 'Further inspection uncovered immigration stamps suspected to be counterfeit in their passports, believed to have been used to deceive authorities into thinking they had entered the country legally,' the department said. Preliminary investigations found that each man is believed to have paid between RM18,000 and RM20,000 to syndicate agents as a fee to enter Sarawak. 'All the detained illegal immigrants have been taken to the Semuja Immigration Detention Depot and are currently being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63,' added the department. Bangladeshis Kuching International Airport lead
The Print
a day ago
- Politics
- The Print
No other city is like Gurugram—'so mismanaged, yet so highly spoken of'
And now, this impressive exercise has resulted in the detention of a grand total of 10 people, alleged to be Bangladeshis. Ten people in a city of over two million. A city-wide operation which paralysed essential services and disrupted thousands of livelihoods, in service of a problem that barely exists outside of election years. The crackdown itself hinges on absurd, manufactured hysteria. In recent days, over 250 suspected 'illegal immigrants' have been herded into holding areas for document verification. Bengali-speaking workers, even those with proper documentation like Aadhaar and PAN cards, are being harassed by police demanding more proof. In some cases, in the absence of the father's birth certificate, the authorities have demanded the grandfather's papers. The dragnet has terrorised an entire workforce into underground hiding or outright flight. For days now, Gurugram's society WhatsApp groups and Reddit forums have buzzed with a slow-rising panic. The domestic workers have vanished. The cooks, the nannies, the food delivery executives, the sanitation workers—the invisible army that keeps Gurugram functioning—have fled in terror of the crackdown on 'illegal' Bangladeshi immigrants. As kitchen countertops remain dirty and impromptu garbage dumps appear on abandoned plots, the city's residents are discovering what their gleaming towers are actually worth, in the absence of the people who have summarily been branded as threats. An impossible tenuousness defines working-class existence in Gurugram. Women who spend their days scrubbing marble floors in sprawling condominiums return to cramped hutments that could be vapourised overnight without warning. Often built on contested land, these 'unauthorised' settlements are tolerated only as long as they are convenient. Anandita Kakkar, a leader for marketing, Asia and resident of Gurugram since the late 1990s, told me that several domestic workers complain about the system of exploitation in their quarters. Local landlords construct these structures, and then force tenants to buy their daily groceries at inflated prices from designated shops. Anyone who tries to question this system faces eviction. The safety of young girls and women is a source of persistent fear for local communities. Kakkar said that adolescent girls are often sent back to their villages, while older ones work punishing 12-hour shifts, in the belief that longer hours in employer homes might offer protection from the dangers lurking in their own neighbourhoods. But here's the thing about Gurugram. The entire city lives in a state of precarity, just at different price points. Gurugram has a problem of structural abandonment, whether you're a domestic worker speaking an alien language, or the much-celebrated CEO of whatever hot startup is currently keeping the pink papers busy. Floodwaters and sanitation issues don't discriminate, whether your home is an unlit tenement in an unauthorised colony, or a Rs 100-crore apartment in India's toniest gated complex. Also read: Gurugram or Kudagram? Elites are furious over the garbage emergency Not ready for Disneyland The city's news cycle follows a predictable seasonal calendar of crises: monsoon floods, festival traffic snarls, summer power cuts, winter pollution, year-round waste management failures. Yet real estate prices, spurred on by dangerous speculation (they have risen three times since 2021), continue their relentless climb in the face of complete civic breakdown. Meanwhile, as the Chief Minister announced plans for a Disneyland, eight people died in 24 hours during recent rains from electrocution, drowning, and accidents. Writer and poet Manik Sharma moved to Gurugram only a year ago, and already fantasises about leaving the city. Sharma has lived in metros all around the country, but told me that he has yet to encounter a place that is 'so mismanaged, yet so highly spoken of'. In the last few weeks in Sector 56, where Sharma resides, sewage was overflowing everywhere. 'They used to say in my village that during an election, all broken roads get fixed. That does not hold true for Gurugram, where assembly and municipal elections have come and gone,' he said. 'You'd be hard pressed to find public hospitals and functioning public toilets. I can't understand how working women who don't own cars navigate the city.' Sharma suggested that while plenty of Indian cities grapple with traffic, the condition of Gurugram's infrastructure is the absolute worst he has witnessed. All while the city's real estate lobby continues to sing a different tune. 'Gurugram's real estate PR does its own PR,' Sharma said, pointing to the giddy conversations around the prices and how that guides perceptions about the city. 'What anchors this city, other than the price of a DLF Camellias apartment, thekas at every corner, fancy cars, and a SonyLIV show? My respect for Noida has grown tenfold,' Sharma added. Also read: What makes Gurugram's Camellias India's most exclusive pin code? It's not just about money Built on wasteland narrative This shared precarity is the inevitable outcome of a city designed around extraction—you only have to look at its foundational mythology to understand it. In the 1980s, KP Singh of DLF India pioneered the template for India's private city-making. In Planning the Millennium City: The Politics of Place-Making in Gurgaon, India (2019), Shoshana Ruth Goldstein writes: 'To assemble the roughly 3,500 acres he initially planned for his group housing projects, Singh and his associates dealt with nearly 700 families. His pitch involved harnessing the wasteland narrative, convincing farmers that their land was underproductive. If they sold to him, he would arrange for them to get a larger plot further out in the District or in Rajasthan with a better agricultural yield.' Singh, along with Sushil Ansal of Ansals, and Ramesh Chandra of Unitech—two of Gurugram's largest builders—lobbied for extensive changes to town planning laws. In his memoir Whatever the Odds: The Incredible Story Behind DLF (2011), Singh wrote about convincing holders of small land parcels to sell their assets to DLF, and also become 'angel investors' in the company. 'I used to dress in a kurta pyjama, wrap a shawl around my shoulders, and wear a beret on my head. I would squat on the floor of their huts and drink the refreshment they offered. I even shared a few puffs of smoke from their hookahs as it would have been impolite to refuse,' he writes. Several of these deals would go on to sour, but that scarcely made a dent in DLF's profits. The same logic that convinced farmers their fertile land was worthless, now convinces residents that paying Rs 100 crore for flood-prone apartments represents progress. Left in the lurch are upper-middle-class residents like Kakkar, who has witnessed the several facelifts that her city has undergone—from wheat fields to elevated metro lines, from abundant water supply to having to rely on water tankers full of worms. When her family first moved to then Gurgaon, the running joke was that one side of the highway, where the DLF properties were, was the 'gur' (sweetness) and the other side (Udyog Vihar's manufacturing units) was the 'gaon' (village). All that changed with the arrival of global firms, like Microsoft, Google, and the building of Cyber City. Gurugram had plenty of opportunities to fashion itself in the image of, say, Chandigarh, but they've all flown by. Kakkar said the city suffers from a lack of vision. 'I wonder if it's because there are too many builders in the area, or that Gurugram's municipal authorities are just not bothered or cannot foresee the next crisis. The city is surviving on a wing and a prayer,' she told me. Still, some of the optimism of the early days continues to abide. Kakkar said Gurugram offered millions of people from smaller towns in North India the chance to be upwardly mobile and to rewrite the course of their lives. 'People who moved here came with massive aspirations and Gurugram became the gateway to many other opportunities,' she said. 'Things have gotten worse, but they have also gotten better for so many. That too, is Gurugram.' Perhaps that's one of the promises Gurugram has actually kept: That people will find ways to survive even systemic abandonment. If you can endure Gurugram's dysfunction, you can probably endure anything. Karanjeet Kaur is a journalist, former editor of Arré, and a partner at TWO Design. She tweets @Kaju_Katri. Views are personal. (Edited by Theres Sudeep)
