Latest news with #Brajabashi
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Tortured migrants to be at forefront of Trinamool rally
1 2 3 4 5 6 Kolkata: Uttam Brajabashi, the 50-year-old Rajbongshi from Cooch Behar's Dinhata, arrived at Sealdah station on Sunday morning to be a part of Trinamool Congress's Martyrs' Day rally. With several hundred party supporters backing him, the soft-spoken Brajabashi questioned why, having spent his lifetime in Cooch Behar, he was slapped with an NRC notice by an Assam Foreigners Tribunal, accusing him of illegally entering India from Bangladesh even before he was born. Later, speaking to reporters, Brajabashi said, "I have never been to Assam. I was born in 1975, and my age is now 50. I do not have any birth certificate. I went to Guwahati with a lawyer to attend the foreigners tribunal meeting. I have spoken to a Trinamool neta who said that they were behind me to give me support." Like Brajabashi, several migrants who worked in other states also started reaching Kolkata to attend the Trinamool rally. These people, mostly from Malda and Murshidabad, who are now in Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra and Gitanjali Stadium, may have otherwise chosen to stay back home, but the issue of Bengali-speaking migrants being harassed in other states brought them to Kolkata. They said they wanted to hear out CM Mamata Banerjee on this. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Couple Wonders Why Their Photo Went Viral Till They Go Through The Comments Learn More Undo You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata At Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra, Tanbir Alam from Malda said his maternal uncle, who is working in Jaipur right now, faced problems as police asked him to show evidence that he is Indian. "On Saturday, he called us saying that the police asked them to show their citizenship card. He was clueless and showed his Aadhaar card, but it was not accepted. Now he has asked for help so that he could get a certificate from the local police station to show as evidence. " He stated that an initiative has been taken up for preparing specific cards that could be used as evidence. Shakil Sheikh, who works as a construction labourer in Delhi, said, "We haven't faced any harassment yet, but that doesn't mean that I will be safe in the future. I have all the identity proofs like those who are being harassed for speaking Bengali and being tagged as Bangladeshi. My question is how do I prove that I am an Indian citizen if my valid identities are being challenged in other states? We are poor villagers who work as migrant labourers in other states to earn money. " Abdul Zalil, who is a student and whose family members travel to other states to earn money, said, "We are citizens of this country. We learned since our childhood that we are together and that different castes, creeds, and religions stay together, so why this discrimination? Why is a section trying to divide us based only on religious identities and mother tongue? The CM has already taken this matter seriously, and we are waiting to hear her address. " At Gitanjali Stadium, Malda's Manirul Sk said, "I go to various places, including Jaipur and Delhi, where I work in sewing, but the recent incidents faced by several migrant labourers are very scary. I appeal to Didi to do something so that we can move to any part of the country and work freely without fear." Sundor Bhuiya from Malda, who works as a construction labourer in Delhi, expressed his concern if he could go there without fear in future. "Many from our district travel to Delhi and other parts of the country as construction labourers. We want Didi to take action so that we do not face such harassment again."
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bengal man slapped with NRC notice to miss tribunal hearing?
1 2 Jalpaiguri: Fifty-year-old Cooch Behar resident Uttam Kumar Brajabashi, the member of the Rajbanshi community who received an NRC notice from an Assam foreigners tribunal, is likely to give his document submission hearing on Tuesday a miss. His lawyer, Apurba Sinha, was supposed to attend the Kamrup tribunal hearing on Brajabashi's behalf. But having been unable to contact Brajabashi over the past few days, Sinha is sceptical of attending the hearing. "Assam govt identified him as an illegal immigrant who entered India through the Assam border between 1966 and 1971 and was residing in Dinhata. Surprisingly, another document prepared by Assam govt shows Brajabashi was born in 1977. When govt itself is claiming Brajabashi is 48 years old, how can they ask for documents from between 1966 and 1971?" Sinha said. "However, I am not sure if I can represent him at the tribunal as I have not been able to contact him for the past few days," he added. Meanwhile, Assam govt on Feb 4 issued a notification stating that all Koch Rajbanshis would be treated as indigenous people of Assam. On April 11, Assam chief secretary Partha P Majumdar instructed govt pleaders in Assam to withdraw pending NRC-related cases against people belonging to the Koch Rajbanshi community. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Questioning the term "Koch Rajbanshi" in Assam govt notices, North Bengal development minister Udayan Guha said, "There is no Koch Rajbanshi community in Cooch Behar or other parts of north Bengal. Yes, there are Rajbanshi people. The notification by Assam govt is misleading and confusing." "We have assured Brajabashi and all other Rajbanshis that our govt and party are with them," Guha told TOI. Sources said Brajabashi may be on the dais on the July 21 martyrs' day rally in Kolkata. BJP's Cooch Behar chief Avijit Barman said, "There is no difference between Koch Rajbanshi and Rajbanshi. Since it was a Cooch Behar kingdom, indigenous people are often called Koch. They are the same. Governing party leaders know this well." He added: "They are just trying to create confusion in an effort to recover their lost ground in north Bengal, especially among the Rajbanshi population. Uttam Kumar Brajabashi has no reason to be afraid. "
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Systematic assault on democracy: CM on Assam NRC notice to Bengal man
Jalpaiguri/Kolkata: Calling the Assam govt's NRC notice to a Cooch Behar Rajbanshi resident a "systematic assault on democracy", CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday urged opposition parties "to stand up against BJP's divisive and oppressive machinery. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now " "I am shocked and deeply disturbed to learn that the Foreigners Tribunal in Assam has issued an NRC notice to Uttam Kumar Brajabashi, a Rajbanshi, resident of Dinhata in Cooch Behar for over 50 years. Despite furnishing valid identity documents, he is being harassed on suspicion of being a 'foreigner/illegal immigrant'," the CM wrote in a post on X. "This is nothing short of a systematic assault on democracy. It is proof that the ruling BJP dispensation in Assam is attempting to implement NRC in Bengal, where it holds no power or jurisdiction. A premeditated attempt is being made to intimidate, disenfranchise, and target marginalised communities. This unconstitutional overreach is anti-people and exposes BJP's dangerous agenda of bulldozing democratic safeguards and erasing the identity of Bengal's people," she added. "This alarming situation calls for urgent unity among all opposition parties to stand up against BJP's divisive and oppressive machinery. Bengal will not stand by as the constitutional fabric of India is torn apart," the CM wrote further. Trinamool Congress threatened to take to the streets in protest. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh told reporters, "Consider this: a resident of Bengal is receiving a letter from Assam. Who has the authority? This is a conspiracy. Bengalis are being oppressed and anyone speaking Bengali is labelled a Bangladeshi. Brajabashi is a native of Bengal, a Rajbanshi. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Now understand, those who engage in Hindu Kumar Brajabashi is Hindu, yet he received the circular. Strong protests are ongoing against this and will continue." After the CM posted on X, panchayat authorities of Brajabashi's village Chaudhurihat, along with Brajabashi and his family met Nitish Tamang, BDO of Dinhata Block 2. Four months ago, Brajabashi had applied for an SC certificate. He received the certificate on Tuesday. Brajabashi told reporters he was relieved because of the support of the Bengal govt and CM Banerjee. Brajabashi received a letter in Jan alleging that he had entered India from Bangladesh illegally through the Assam border between 1966 and 1971 and was residing in Dinhata's Sadiyal Kuthi area. Brajabashi maintains he was born in 1975 and has records to show that his father had been a Dinhata voter since 1966. Trinamool MP Sagarika Ghose said, "It is highly disturbing to note that the BJP govt in Assam is sending demands for citizenship proof from an inhabitant of Bengal. This is totally unconstitutional and anti-democratic…They have targeted someone from the Rajbanshi community…We will not allow the divisive agenda of the BJP to divide and to target the most vulnerable and helpless sections."
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bengal man facing Assam NRC heat shows parents' vote proof
1 2 Jalpaiguri: Cooch Behar resident Uttam Kumar Brajabashi, who received an NRC notice from the Assam govt asking him to prove his Indian citizenship by July 15 or face deportation, produced documents on Monday which showed that his parents, Narendranath Brajabashi and Sabitri, were voters in Dinhata. In Jan, 50-year-old Brajabashi received a notice from Assam govt accusing him of being an illegal immigrant who entered India through the Bangladesh border between 1966 and 1971. The notice claimed Brajabashi was unable to present required documents during police verification. North Bengal development minister Udayan Guha, who has stepped in to help Brajabashi, said on Monday: "Brajabashi was born in 1975. Surprisingly, the Assam govt asked for his documents from 1966 to 1971. We have asked him to not pay heed to the notice. We will stand by him and provide him support." You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata A Rajbanshi from Sadiyaler Kuthi in Dinhata's Chowdhury Haat, Brajabashi has claimed he had never left Cooch Behar in his life or travelled outside Bengal. "Brajabashi is an Indian Bengali from Bengal. How can a man born in 1975 have documents from before that? This is ridiculous and unacceptable," he said. Trinamool Congress, in a statement, said: "The BJP-governed Assam govt has now sent an NRC notice to Uttam Kumar Brajabashi, a man who has never even visited Assam. He possesses documents showing that his father's name was included in the 1966 electoral roll. How does Assam govt send such an undemocratic notice to one of our Rajbanshi brothers."
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bengal man tagged ‘illegal immigrant' by Assam, state steps in
1 2 Jalpaiguri: Bengal govt assured help to a Cooch Behar resident who received an NRC notice from Assam govt in Jan, accusing him of having entered India illegally from Bangladesh. The assurance came after Uttam Kumar Brajabashi (50) reached out to North Bengal development minister Udayan Guha on Sunday after he was given until July 15 to prove his citizenship. Brajabashi said he had never left Cooch Behar in his life. But in Jan this year, he got a notice from the local police that alleged that Assam govt had identified him as an illegal immigrant who entered India through the Assam border between 1966 and 1971, and had been residing in Dinhata. The notice claimed that Brajabashi could not present valid documents during police verification. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata His lawyer, Apurba Sinha, said Assam govt started the NRC case in 2015, but the letter reached the office of the Cooch Behar district SP nine years later, in Dec 2024. Sinha questioned how Assam could send an NRC-related letter to the district SP in Bengal when Bengal govt does not recognise NRC. According to the lawyer, Assam govt has demanded proof of his name on the voter list since he became an eligible voter but neither the district nor state administration have been able to provide the documents. On learning of the incident, minister Guha, who is also the Dinhata MLA, said, "Brajabashi is not only an Indian citizen but also a scheduled caste citizen. On what grounds did the SP of Kamrup district (in Assam) send an NRC-related letter to a citizen of Dinhata in Cooch Behar. This will not be tolerated here." Uttam Kumar Brajabashi's lawyer questioned how Assam govt could send a letter on NRC to the district SP in Bengal when Bengal govt does not recognise NRC
