HC to hear plea on NRC implementation in Bengal

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court is set to hear a PIL praying for implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Bengal in the wake of alleged infiltration from Bangladesh.

The petitioner is learnt to have submitted a representation before the respondent authorities which includes the Union of India praying for preparation of NRC to implement the provisions of Section 4 and 14 A of the Citizenship Act, 1955 in order to “prevent the illegal infiltration and to take steps for issuance of National Identity cards as per Section 14A Citizenship Act, 1955”. The petitioner stated that such representation has not been considered by the respondent authorities concerned.

The petition stated that India with Bangladesh forms a 4,095 km long border line, among which Bengal shares 2,216 km (more than 54 perf cent) and the people of both the geographical regions are linguistically and ethnically similar. So, as an Indian state, Bengal is highly affected by Bangladeshi cross border migration. Bengal, the main destination of Bangladeshi, is bounded by Bangladesh in eastern side with ten border districts namely North 24-Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad, Malda, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Darjeeling, Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri.

It was further highlighted that a bulk of migration current was flown towards Bengal after partition of Bengal in 1941 and subsequently different political movements pushed the Hindu population from Bangladesh up to 1971. This political nature of migration gradually converted into economic migration and Hindu migration streams replaced by poor Muslims.

Bangladeshi migration not only changes the demographic scenario but also creates different social problems, the petition stated.

The PIL is likely to be heard next Tuesday by the bench of Justices Sujoy Paul and Smita Das De. The state is learnt to have been directed to get instructions if any other PIL on the same subject matter is pending.