Border security personnel 'restricting' Dalits, OBCs from performing their last rites

Counterview Desk
Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), in a representation to the district magistrate of North Dinajpur, West Bengal, has complained that the Border Security Force personnel have not just placed restrictions on cultivate their fertile agricultural land but also social practices.
"Due to no particular reason the BSF do not allow the villagers to perform the last rites of the Hindu population in a crematorium located across the fencing near the river banks, which has been used by the villagers for almost 200 years. Due to the restraint, the villagers have to walk for almost 5 kilometers to perform the last rites", Roy says.

Text:

I want to attract your attention towards the illegitimate restrictions on the life and livelihood of the villagers of Krishnapur Palpara village under Tufanganj - I Block and Tufanganj police station in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal by the Border Security Force personnel attached with Krishnapur Border Out Post under 62 Battalion BSF.
The population of Krishnapur Palpara village is around 5,740, where almost 60 percent of the villagers belong from Hindu Scheduled Caste (Dalit) and 40 percent from minority Muslim (OBC) backgrounds. The main occupation of the villagers is agriculture. More than 950 acres of cultivable land in the village that belongs to the villagers is located outside the border fencing, which is heavily guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF). The BSF regulates the ingress and egress of the villagers to their fields through the fencing gate Nos 5 and 6 that are located about 300 meters to 400 meters from the International Border Pillar (IBP).
Our fact-finding reveals that the agricultural land outside the fencing is very fertile and multiple crops can be cultivated throughout the year. The villagers are willing to cultivate jute, maize, chili and vegetables throughout the year to earn good profits from their yields. However, due to the whimsical restrictions imposed by the BSF, they are restricted to cultivate profitable crops like jute and maize. Even if they had planted vegetables and chili in the land across the fencing, due to the irregularity of opening the fencing gates, most of their crops were ruined incurring heavy financial loss.
About 500 families reside across the fencing and have their agricultural land there. Due to lack of proper irrigation facilities across the fencing, the villagers are not able to cultivate paddy in their fields as well. It has been found that the villagers for being restricted to cultivate jute and maize in their lands are incurring a financial loss of Rs 60 to 90 thousand per acre of land in a year. This loss has been continuing since the past 5 years due to the illegitimate restrictions by the BSF. When asked to the BSF of such a whimsical restriction, the BSF states that there are government rules by which jute and maize cultivation in the borders are restricted. However, they have failed to show such government rules when asked.
Not only in agriculture but restrictions are in place to hinder social practices as well. Due to no particular reason the BSF do not allow the villagers to perform the last rites of the Hindu population in a crematorium located across the fencing near the river banks, which has been used by the villagers for almost 200 years. Due to the restraint, the villagers have to walk for almost 5 kilometers to perform the last rites.
On 11.01.2023, the villagers went to the Block Development Officer of Tufanganj - I block with a written complaint on the issues of restriction on their lives and livelihood. But the BDO Tufanganj didn’t accept the complaint and said that he can’t do anything on the issues of the villagers. Later the villagers sent the complaint to the BDO via registered post on 27.01.2023, but action was taken on the issues.
Following are the names and details of few victim villagers:

These whimsical actions and arbitrary restriction imposed by the Border Security Force personnel of Krishnapur Border Out post upon the villagers of Krishnapur Palpara is not only challenging their life and livelihood but also violating the Article 21 and Article 19 of the Constitution of India and Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The plight of the villagers and denial of their proper livelihood practices is against the Articles 7 and 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) as well as the goal number 8 and 16 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In all these international instruments, the Government of India is a party and has taken pledge to adhere with.
Under the circumstances, I request your urgent intervention in this case by fulfilling these demands of the villagers:

The Border Security Force should be posted at the zero point and not inside the village.
BSF should be instructed to follow the law of the land and stop imposing their own made-up rules.
Disciplinary action should be taken against the BSF Company Commander of Krishnapur BSF BOP and all others for imposing illegal restrictions upon the villagers and harassing them.
BSF should not restrict the life and livelihood of the villagers particularly of the farmers.
The villagers should be provided with agricultural support.
The farmers should be compensated for the financial loss due to the illegal restriction of the BSF attached with Krishnapur BOP.
The villagers of Krishnapur should be allowed to perform last rites at the designated crematorium without any restrictions.

Comments

राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी: जल जीवन मिशन के लक्ष्य को पाने समन्वित प्रयास जरूरी

- राज कुमार सिन्हा* जल संसाधन से जुड़ी स्थायी समिति ने वर्तमान लोकसभा सत्र में पेश रिपोर्ट में बताया है कि "नल से जल" मिशन में राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी साबित हुए हैं। जबकि देश के 11 राज्यों में शत-प्रतिशत ग्रामीणों को नल से जल आपूर्ति शुरू कर दी गई है। रिपोर्ट में समिति ने केंद्र सरकार को सिफारिश की है कि मिशन पुरा करने में राज्य सरकारों की समस्याओं पर गौर किया जाए।

Old bias, new excuses: How western media misrepresents India’s anti-terror strikes

By Gajanan Khergamker The recent Indian military strikes on Pakistan, dubbed Operation Sindoor, have sparked a storm of international media coverage. Several prominent outlets have portrayed India as the aggressor in the escalating conflict, raising concerns over biased reporting. This commentary critiques coverage by foreign media outlets such as The New York Times , Reuters, BBC, and CNN, which have often been accused of framing India’s actions as escalatory while downplaying or omitting critical context regarding Pakistan’s role in fostering terrorism. By examining historical patterns and current geopolitical dynamics, this analysis highlights the recurring selective framing, omission of evidence, and a tendency to favor narratives aligned with Western geopolitical interests over factual nuance.

'A tribal lifeline': Health rights group asks Gujarat governor to halt Vyara govt hospital privatization

By A Representative In a strong appeal to the Governor of Gujarat, the National Health Rights Alliance (NHRA)—an initiative of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM)—has urged the state to halt the ongoing move to privatize the Vyara Government Hospital and Medical College in Tapi district.

जैविक जीवित संसाधनों व प्रकृति पर निर्भर मजदूरों की व्यापक आर्थिक सुरक्षा कैसे हो?

- राज कुमार सिन्हा* भारत में 60 करोड़ से अधिक लोग भूमि, जल, जंगल और समुद्र जैसे प्राकृतिक स्रोतों पर निर्भर हैं । देश में 14.6 करोड़ छोटे और सीमांत किसान, 14.4 करोड़ खेतिहर मजदूर ( बड़ी संख्या में दलित हैं), 27.5 करोड़ वन निवासी, 2.8 करोड़ मछुआरे, 1.3 करोड़ पशुपालक और 1.7 करोड़ कारीगर हैं जो सीधे तौर पर प्रकृति के साथ और प्रकृति के भरोसे काम कर रहे हैं । लगभग 6 करोड़ मौसमी मजदूर हैं जो काम के सिलसिले में लगातार अपने गांव से बाहर जाते हैं और लौटते हैं। प्रकृति निर्भर समुदायों की आर्थिक गतिविधियां जो बड़े पैमाने पर जीवन निर्वाह और छोटी आय के लिए है। वर्तमान आर्थिक नीतियों के कारण, जो कॉर्पोरेट्स और बड़े व्यवसायों का समर्थन करती है, प्रकृति निर्भर समुदाय के लिए अव्यवहारिक होती जा रही है।

Censor Board's bullying delays 'Phule': A blow to India's democratic spirit

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* A film based on the life and legacy of Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule was expected to release today. Instead, its release has been pushed to the last week of April. The reason? Protests by self-proclaimed guardians of caste pride—certain Brahmin groups—and forced edits demanded by a thoroughly discredited Censor Board.

Naveen Gautam creates history, becomes first Dalit youth to moderate session at UN

By A Representative In a historic moment for Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent, Mr. Naveen Gautam of the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) became the first Dalit youth to moderate a session at any United Nations forum.

Kashmiriyat lives: Beyond the prime-time lies

By Rimmi Vaghela I am Rimmi from Ahmedabad. I contemplated this blog on April 27, 2025 in Jammu, when my plans of revisiting the paradise called Kashmir were shattered—not by fear, but by circumstances and sorrow. I decided to share my story with a heavy heart, hoping it reaches those who still believe in the warmth of humanity over the divisive noise of prime-time media.

Choice of the word 'Sindoor' in India's anti-terror operation: Symbolic feminism or patriarchal strategy?

By Dr. Mansee Bal Bhargava* In the aftermath of a war and subsequent ceasefire in 2025, Operation Sindoor has emerged as a focal point of national discourse, not only for its military objectives but also for its symbolic framing. The operation, named after a traditional marker of Hindu marital identity, and the prominent roles of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force in its media briefings, have been widely celebrated as a step toward gender inclusivity.

In the fury of war, humanity succumbs to the illusion of nationalism

By Dr. Mansee Bal Bhargava* On May 7, Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti—also known as Rabindra Jayanti or Poncheeshe Boishakh in Kolkata—we celebrated the birth anniversary of the renowned poet, writer, philosopher, reformer, and Nobel laureate. On this occasion, I draw attention to Tagore’s timeless quotes, which resonate profoundly today, perhaps more than ever, as we live in a time when the ruling government has pushed the nation toward war.

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das* India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on. A soft attitude always creates strong relationships. A relationship should not depend only on spoken words. They should rely on understanding the unspoken feeling too. So w...

Search This Blog