Skip to main content

Human rights group alleges BSF harassment, border security lapses in West Bengal villages

By A Representative 
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), a human rights organization, has petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) alleging severe human rights violations and deteriorating living conditions in the border villages of Hakimpur and Daharkandha under Swarupnagar Police Station, North 24 Parganas district.  MASUM, along with the Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI), claims that the Border Security Force (BSF) is responsible for the villagers' plight.
A fact-finding report conducted by MASUM details how the BSF’s actions have drastically impacted the lives of the 11,701 residents of these villages, comprised of Muslim OBC, Hindu Scheduled Caste, and other backward communities.  The report alleges that the BSF has established unauthorized checkpoints deep within the villages, far from the actual Indo-Bangladesh border along the Sonai River.  This, MASUM claims, has not only failed to secure the border, leading to increased cross-border crimes like smuggling and human trafficking, but has also severely restricted the villagers' movement and livelihoods.
"Instead of guarding the border, the BSF is harassing villagers," Kirity Roy, Secretary of MASUM and National Convenor of PACTI, stated in the petition to the NHRC.  "This illegal relocation of BSF posts has actually left the border open to criminal activity."
The report details how the BSF's presence has crippled the local economy.  Villagers, primarily dependent on agriculture, are allegedly harassed and threatened when trying to access their fields.  Fishing in the Sonai River, once a major source of income, has been completely halted by the BSF, even for villagers with valid fishing permits.  Small-scale industries have also suffered due to BSF interference with raw material supplies.
The impact on essential services is also highlighted.  Children face harassment on their way to school, leading to increased dropout rates, while teachers are reluctant to travel to the area due to fear of BSF personnel. Access to healthcare is severely restricted, with villagers often denied passage to the local health sub-center, even in emergencies.  MASUM's report alleges that this has led to preventable tragedies, particularly for pregnant women, the elderly, and the critically ill.
The report further alleges that women are particularly vulnerable, facing frequent harassment from BSF personnel.  MASUM claims that the BSF's actions have created an atmosphere of fear, restricting women's movement and impacting social events like weddings.
MASUM has previously submitted numerous complaints to the NHRC, BSF, the West Bengal government, and the Union of India regarding similar incidents.  The current petition includes references to incidents dated 9/7/2024; 6/8/2024; 21/8/2024; 23/8/2024; 18/9/2024 and NHRC Case No. 50/25/2024 - PF, underscoring the ongoing nature of the problem.
MASUM is urging the NHRC to conduct an independent investigation into the alleged human rights violations, dismantle the unauthorized BSF checkpoints, ensure the protection of villagers' fundamental rights, and restore access to essential services.  They are demanding accountability for the BSF's actions and justice for the affected villagers.

Comments

TRENDING

Designing the edge, erasing the river: Sabarmati Riverfront and the dissonance between ecology and planning

By Mansee Bal Bhargava, Parth Patel  Across India, old black-and-white images of the Sabarmati River are often juxtaposed with vibrant photos of the modern Sabarmati Riverfront. This visual contrast is frequently showcased as a model of development, with the Sabarmati Riverfront serving as a blueprint for over a hundred proposed riverfront projects nationwide. These images are used to forge an implicit public consensus on a singular idea of development—shifting from a messy, evolving relationship between land and water to a rigid, one-time design intervention. The notion of regulating the unregulated has been deeply embedded into public consciousness—especially among city makers, planners, and designers. Urban rivers across India are undergoing a dramatic transformation, not only in terms of their land-water composition but in the very way we understand and define them. Here, we focus on one critical aspect of that transformation: the river’s edge.

Top civil rights leader announces plan to lead delegation to Pakistan amidst post-war tensions

By A Representative   In a significant move, well-known academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey has announced the plan to send a 22-member delegation to Pakistan to engage in dialogue with its government and civil society. The delegation proposed to go to Pakistan under the banner of Socialist Party (India) as a fact-finding mission to help seek solution to continuing tensions between the two countries over the fallout of the Pahalgam terror attack.

J&K's Mallabuchan villagers symbolically cut Off pipeline in protest against ‘water injustice’

By A Representative   In a striking act of peaceful protest, residents of Mallabuchan village in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district symbolically disconnected the Ahmadpora-Tangmarg water pipeline on Thursday, denouncing decades of official neglect and violation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) norms.

Few Bollywood actors possessed Sanjeev Kumar's subtle detachment and sensitivity

By Harsh Thakor  On 9th July, we celebrated the 85th birthday of legendary Hindi film actor, Sanjeev Kumar., known as Haribhai Jariwala. Sanjeev Kumar penetrated zones of versatility or acting craft, almost unparalleled in Hindi cinema. He was one one the very few who touched horizons of true genius, transcending regions in acting virtually unexplored. Rarely did any artist get stuck as thickly into the skin of the character. The diversity of expressions in his moves reminded one of the different water colours of a painting. Sanjeev manifested the ventures of an artist to tap the regions unexplored. He simply defied all conventions of Bollywood, making path breaking experiments. His acting had a subtle degree detachment and sensitivity, which few Bollywood actors ever possessed. He may not have possessed the drop dead looks of a Dev Anand, Dharmendra or Sashi Kapoor or the professionalism or star charisma of an Amitabh Bachan, Rajesh Khanna or Shah Rukh Khan. However in pure acting...

Relevance of historical foot marches like Dandi and Salt march in achieving developmental goals in India

By Bharat Dogra  India has a great tradition of organizing foot marches, including some which become historically very important, the most obvious example being the Dandi Salt March under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi which is a very important chapter in the freedom movement of India.

Primary sources of the underground Naxalite movement (1965–71): An analytical compilation

By Harsh Thakor*  Voices from the Underground: Select Naxalite Documents (1965–71) is a compilation of documents and writings related to the Naxalite movement, spanning the period between 1965 and 1992. The collection includes materials not widely available through mainstream publishers and often considered controversial by the state. It is divided into two sections and contains eighteen documents authored by individuals associated with the movement.

A healthier model for goat-based livelihoods in remote Madhya Pradesh villages

By Bharat Dogra  While buffaloes and cows often receive greater attention in animal husbandry-related government development schemes, goats remain vital for poorer households. Therefore, enhancing goat-based livelihoods is especially important for marginalized communities—particularly when such efforts reduce villagers' costs and lower goat mortality rates. One promising strategy involves training local villagers, especially women, to provide essential veterinary services. A welcome byproduct of this is that several women gain a respected source of income within their own villages.

Ecological alarm over pumped storage projects in Western Ghats: Policy analyst writes to PM

By A Representative   In a detailed letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, energy and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has raised grave concerns over the escalating approval and construction of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) across India’s ecologically fragile river valleys. He has warned that these projects, if pursued unchecked, could result in irreparable damage to the country’s riverine ecology, biodiversity hotspots, and forest wealth—particularly in the Western Ghats.

Guru Dutt: The melancholy visionary who redefined Indian cinema

By Harsh Thakor*  Iconic Indian director and actor Guru Dutt was just 39 years old when he died in 1964, but he left behind a cinematic legacy that continues to resonate. On July 9, the world marks the birth centenary of this cinematic wizard. Guru Dutt, whose name epitomises the golden era of Indian cinema, left an indelible mark with his talents as a director, producer, and actor. He elevated the art of filmmaking to new heights, bringing innovative storytelling to unexplored domains. Like the protagonist of "Pyaasa", true recognition came to Dutt only after his passing. Cinema enthusiasts continue to wonder what more he might have achieved had he lived longer.