Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Dec 11 : A deputation of Bengal migrants today called on Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS in PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Space and Atomic Energy and urged upon him to take up with the Government the issue of providing protection and conferring citizenship rights to a large number of Bengalis who were compelled to migrate to Indian territory in the aftermath of partition in 1947 and took shelter in areas like Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal.
The deputationists alleged that despite assurances from the Government, the migrated Bengalis including women and children in Assam are still treated as foreigners and from time to time, many of them are thrown into detention camps in various parts of Northeastern States in gross violation of human rights.
A memorandum was also presented to the Minister which demanded that the Government of India should adopt suitable legislation conferring citizenship to any person who has migrated or will migrate to any part of the territory of India at any time from Bangladesh or erstwhile East Pakistan. The memorandum also demanded that the Government of Assam be directed to stop physical or mental harassment to Bengal migrants and also not to deport any such person to Bangladesh or any other foreign land.
Dr Jitendra Singh gave a patient hearing to the deputation and assured to take up their grievances with the Government.He said, he would also forward their memorandum to the concerned State governments as well as union Home Ministry.
The deputation included Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) from Mangadoi,Assam, Ramen Deka, former Assam MLA Alok Kumar Ghose, Subhash Debnath, Suresh Sarkar and others.
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