Kendrapara: The implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by the Centre has brought joy among the Bengali-speaking immigrants living in remote corners of Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district and in parts of Kendrapara district, sources said Wednesday. Most of these Bengali-speaking people are from Bangladesh.
A report prepared in 1971 by the Union government then stated that 3,997 immigrants were rehabilitated in Odisha. However, since then the numbers have grown substantially, local officials said here.
The CAA will benefit thousands of persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christian migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
A large number of Hindus from Bangladesh had come here and to Paradip during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. They were served deportation notices in 2005. In spite of the notice, they have continued to live here and in Paradip illegally. Now they are hoping that they will finally get Indian citizenship after the implementation of CAA.
Among the immigrants living in Odisha, 1,649 are residing in Kendrapara district, 1,112 in Jagatsinghpur district, 665 in Malkangiri district, 313 in Bhadrak district, 150 in Balasore district, 106 in Nabarangpur district and two in Bargarh district. These are the official figures, but in reality, the numbers are much more.
The question however, is who will carry out the religion-wise segregation. Sarpanch Sanjay Behera of Paradipgarh panchayat in Jagatsinghpur district alleged that 90 families of immigrants are residents of Chanakana slum under Ward No-25. All of them are Muslims, he pointed out. Sources said that many of the Muslims, in order to get Indian citizenship, are rechristening themselves and their family members with Hindu names. Sanjay also said that Muslim Bengali-speaking immigrants can be found in Chandni, Lockpada, Bangalipada and other slums in Paradip.
Locals have alleged that the number of Bangladeshi immigrants has increased due to apathetic attitude of the administration, political patronization and vote-bank politics.
Senior BJP leader Bhubanmohan Jena informed that 1,237 immigrants were rehabilitated in Kendrapara district during the India-Pakistan war in 1971. Many Hindus and immigrants of other religions from Bangladesh fled their own country and took shelter in various parts of India including this district after being persecuted by fundamentalists. However, as per a census in 2011, the number of immigrants has swelled to 76,000 in this district.
Youth leader Bijay Shukla from Mahakalapara block said that the CAA has come as a huge relief for scores of poor immigrants living in the remote regions of this district. They were deprived of various government-sponsored welfare and development schemes as they had no land of their own. They were even deprived of housing benefits, food security and social justice due to this reason.
Former sarpanch Narayan Haldar said that he has been living in this district as a Hindu immigrant since 1971. However, now the CAA has brought relief for him and others of his clan.
PNN