Two Bengali-origin Muslim women from Assam who were reportedly forced into the noman’s land between India and Bangladesh by the Border Security Force (BSF) have returned to their homes, Scroll reported on June 1.
Earlier, many media reports had highlighted how several individuals, pushed across the border into Bangladesh during a crackdown on alleged “illegal immigrants,” claimed to be Indian citizens with close family ties in Assam.
Shona Bhanu and Rahima Begum were among hundreds of Bengali-speaking Muslims who were detained and pushed towards the international border as part of the state’s intensified effort to identify and deport so-called illegal immigrants. Assam Chief Minister HimantaBiswaSarma had openly admitted that the state had been “pushing back” individuals declared foreigners by Assam’s Foreigners Tribunals.
According to a report, Rahima Begum was picked up from Golaghat district by police and taken to the Bangladesh border. She was told to cross over before officials realised there had been a mistake in her case and brought her back. Her lawyer confirmed that a Foreigners Tribunal had ruled her family entered India before March 25, 1971 – the cutoff date for citizenship in Assam under the Assam Accord.
Shona Bhanu, 59, a resident of Barpeta district, was reportedly dropped off on a highway around 11 p.m. on Saturday – 120 km away from her home – according to her brother, Ashraf Ali.