'No One Else Will Speak Up For Us': Bengali Hindu Refugees In UP's Pilibhit See Modi As Their Protector — Ground Report

In the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh, there is a cluster of 23 villages some twenty-odd kilometres away from Pilibhit — all populated by Bengali refugees.

Nearly 40,000 Bengalis are believed to be living here, but the number is closer to one lakh if media reports are to be considered true. 

Many of them, to date, live without legal sanction, with their family members who crossed over from East Pakistan (and later Bangladesh) beginning from 1958 — up to the 1970s when the floods hit the region. Thousands of them have also fled because of one reason — religious persecution of the Hindu minority by Islamists. 

Crossing rivers and thick forests, they found their passage to India, where they lived in refugee camps for many years, until the Government of India acknowledged their problems and provided the necessary means for their survival.

'Indira Gandhi gave us shelter' 

Many of them have settled in Udhamsingh Nagar and Pilibhit, but not all of them have been granted Indian citizenship.

Pilibhit's Member of Parliament Varun Gandhi, in 2013, remembered how his grandmother — former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi — brought the tormented Hindus to India by providing them instant citizenship along with five acres of arable land, two bullocks, a plough, some crop seeds and a gun licence meant for self-protection.

The gun licence was given because the Terai area was once known for being a haven for man-eating tigers who wandered in its untouched wilderness. But the migration did not stop, as religious persecution, natural calamities and political instability continued to trouble the people living in East Bengal for decades to come.

They kept entering India illegally. While the early arrivals were granted citizenship, the latecomers were not. Many of them, even today, fear detention or deportation.

'CAA is a godsend' 

This is why the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) is a godsend for many Bengalis living in Pilibhit and other areas.

Locals whom Swarajya spoke to, recall voting for the Congress because of Indira Gandhi's help but switched their support to the BJP since Maneka and Varun took over the reigns. Their alignment with the BJP consolidated when the CAA gave them hope.

Today, most Bengalis living in Pilibhit's Neoria, Gabiya, Ramnagra and Rampuria call the area 'mini Bengal' because of their presence. Before they could be allotted land, they were spread across Saharanpur, Pilibhit, Rampur, Pratapgarh and Bahraich. 

The local administration in Pilibhit has been asked to prepare a list of eligible people who can qualify for citizenship. Therefore, data regarding their entry into India, where they came from, and the reason for seeking refuge is being collected. Of the 40,000-odd immigrants spread across 19 districts of Uttar Pradesh, 37,000 are believed to be in Pilibhit, a report by The Print has stated. 

Back in the day, these refugees were settled in UP by the Refugees Relief and Rehabilitation Department — a body that was established exclusively to deal with this issue.

'Pranab Da visited us' 

But the Bengali community seems to be slightly upset with the BJP too, since Maneka and Varun Gandhi have represented the Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat for many years, with the former representing it six times before her son took over in 2019. This time, Varun has been dropped from the BJP's list and the ticket has been given to state minister and former Congress leader Jitin Prasada. 

But that does not matter to the community here, as they are determined to stand with the BJP because of the CAA-NRC issue.

"Varun visited us often, and promised us all the help possible, but very little has been done. We like him, and he has been kind to us. He is very accessible too, but our lives have seen little to no change in practical terms," a resident of Gajraula in Pilibhit. They did not want to be named but did not hesitate to get a picture clicked. 

They also remember former President Pranab Mukherjee visiting them during the time of campaign in 2012. He was serving as a cabinet minister in the erstwhile UPA government and was tasked to campaign for the party in Pilibhit ahead of the state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. A few months ago, BJP Bengal leader Shantanu Thakur visited the community and assured them of all the support necessary.

But beyond words, nothing has been done to change their lives, they complain. 

"But we will still vote for Prime Minister Modi and the BJP. Every single vote will go to them no matter what because no one else will speak up for us. We voted for the Congress after Indira Gandhi helped us, but her successors and local Congress leaders have not been helpful at all," another senior man adds.

'We will vote for Modi' 

A sizeable number of people living in these villages are yet to receive their caste certificates. They say that they are not eligible to get the benefits of reservation and other government schemes as a result of this. Their children, many of them, cannot avail the benefits given to Scheduled Caste communities because they do not have caste certificates or legal documents to prove their citizenship.

As a result, they have to apply through the general category, face tough competition, and finish their studies after hurdling through many difficulties. When they are finally done with their studies, a lot of them have been denied formal employment opportunities because they do not have proper documentation to prove their nationality.

This has forced many of the illegal immigrants and their children to work in the farms of wealthy landowners in the area, mostly Sikhs and other Kurmis. Their future prospects appear bleak at best, without the CAA. With the implementation of the CAA, they can enlist themselves as an illegal immigrant of the minority Hindu faith and can acquire citizenship — which will further provide them legal rights to own land, benefit from reservations and much more.

"We have brought attention to this issue with the district and the state administration. Many leaders have visited the area, and assured us of all the support necessary, but nothing happens beyond mere assurances. We support the BJP. We support Modi ji and Yogi baba, but I hope this issue is resolved at the earliest," the octogenarian seated nearby says.

Although some of them have acquired voting rights after naturalisation, they are still treated as a general category, whereas many of them belong to Namasudra and Poundra communities — a group which historically faced untouchability in Bengal. 

They are also not able to regularise the lease of their agricultural lands because of this issue, and many revenue titles have been invalidated over time. Today, most men in the community are working as bonded labourers on the farms. They have no land of their own.

Their children are not able to obtain the benefits of reservation because a person by birth is considered an Indian citizen only if he/she has at least one parent who is an Indian citizen — neither being illegal immigrants. 

"We Bengali Hindus admire Prime Minister Modi and wish him well. But I hope our problems are heard," they tell Swarajya.