Shocking news emerged on July 31 as reported suggesting eviction of around 70 families of migrant workers in S. Bingipura in Bannerghatta, Bengaluru took place on Tuesday. As per a report of The Hindu, the families of these migrant workers were displaced after local police allegedly demolished their homes and cut off their power supply as part of an eviction operation. The report also provides how the Bengaluru police labelled these families as “illegal immigrants” from Bangladesh, although the families have been insisting that they had migrated from the state of West Bengal.
The eviction has left approximately 400 daily wage workers, primarily involved in waste segregation and originally from West Bengal, struggling to address their grievances. As per the report, a formal complaint with the State police chief have been filed by the victims. The said complaint provides that the Bannerghatta police arrived with earthmovers, destroyed six homes, and disconnected the power supply, all under the pretence of removing illegal immigrants. Furthermore, abusing their power, the police allegedly also threatened the residents with severe consequences if they resisted.
As per the report, a resident claimed they had valid documents proving their citizenship and residency of West Bengal and had attempted to communicate this to the police, however the same was to no avail. The resident further provided that they had paid rent for the land and constructed their homes, which have now been demolished. R. Kaleemulla, an activist with Swaraj Abhiyan, stated that the demolition was unlawful and contravened several High Court and Supreme Court rulings.
The complaint filed with the State police chief also highlighted that the demolition followed a report from a Kannada news channel falsely accusing the residents of being illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The residents have informed the West Bengal government of the situation and are demanding accountability for the police officials involved in the eviction and for the news channel that broadcasted the misleading report.
Speaking to SabrangIndia, R. Kaleemulla stated that the condition of the Bengali migrants living in Bengaluru is very grave, they spend each day under fear of being falsely deemed as “illegal Bangladeshis” and facing ill-treatment at the hands of the state police. R. Kaleemulla provided that the victims had shown their valid documents but it made no difference to the police. It was further alleged by R. Kaleemulla that the police were acting in fear of the Kannada news channel, namely Republic TV, while taking action against the migrants. R. Kaleemulla also highlighted that a news reporter Naveen Shetty and a cameraman from Republic TV Kannada channel had accompanied the police officials, including the Inspector of Bannergatta Police Station one Mr. Krishnamurti bulldozers, and JCBs, while the houses were being demolished at the S. Bingipura colony. The channel had even taken the live coverage of the demolition.
As claimed by R. Kaleemulla, the reporter was heard stating that the police were taking action against “illegal Bengladeshi” migrants. Referring to the documentations being presented by the migrants, the reporter had allegedly claimed that “these documents were falsely claimed by these Bangladeshi illegals by entering the state of West Bengal.”
The video of the coverage by Republic TV Kannada can be viewed here:
As per R. Kaleemulla, the news report in question by Republic TV amounts to hate speech and incitement of violence and discrimination against these families. He told SabrangIndia that the action of the media personnel not only violates the fundamental rights of these individuals but also undermines the social fabric of our diverse and pluralistic society.
- Kaleemulla also shared pictures of the documents that were held by the migrants there.
On August 1, 2024, a memorandum was also submitted by activists with Swaraj Abhiyan and members of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties to the Director General of Police of the state of Karnataka, highlighting the details of the incident and the unjust manner in which the migrants were targeted by the police.
In the memorandum submitted, it has been stated “We are writing to bring to your urgent attention a grave violation of the rights and liberties of about 70 families, comprising approximately 400 persons, who hail from Village Uttar Kodalia, PS Basirhat, West Bengal, and currently reside in a colony at S. Bingipura, coming under within the jurisdiction of Bannerghatta Police Station, Bangalore, Karnataka. We would like to bring to your attention that these 400 residents are residing on private property as tenants. Furthermore, all these individuals, primarily engaged in manual labor and scavenging, and considering their socio-economic backwardness are facing severe persecution and injustice at the hands of police and media personnel.”
Details of the destruction caused by were also provided, by stating “Furthermore, the JCB bulldozer was used to destroy 6 homes and community buildings, and further, the electricity supply to the houses in the colony was disconnected, at the instance of the Banerghatta Police. This act of demolition by the police is illegal and inhuman. It is outside of the jurisdiction of the police to initiate and carry out such demolition of houses on private property. This demolition has affected the children education, the health of the residents and caused severe stress to all the residents. These families are genuine Indian citizens from West Bengal who have migrated to Bangalore for livelihood opportunities. Each one of them has an Aadhar Card, Voter ID and Pan Card as proof of their citizenship. They are being unjustly targeted and subjected to threats of persecution, imprisonment, displacement, and deportation solely due to their religious beliefs and language barrier.”
As per the memorandum, the said demolition and eviction led to violations of Constitutional provisions of Article 14, 19, 21 and 25. In addition to this, the police also cause violation of Rule of Law and Right to Livelihood.
The memorandum also highlighted an order of the Karnataka High Court, in the case of Peoples Union for Civil Liberties Karnataka v. State Of Karnataka (WP 1285/20200), wherein a similar circumstance had been argued before the Court. A demolition of shelters at the instance of the Police officials of Marathahalli Police officials had taken place, which were similarly based on the unsubstantiated apprehension of residents being Bangladeshi and baseless news reports. During the case, the Court had come down strictly on the Police officials and through its order dated February 10, 2020 had held that the Police action was in gross violation of Article 21 of the constitution. The court had then consequently directed State government to implement a comprehensive rehabilitation scheme featuring temporary as well as permanent measures and along with that pay compensation the evicted residents.
The memorandum had then stated that the present act of the state police is not only violative of the fundamental rights of the victims, but also the order of the Court.
The complete memorandum can be viewed here:
To condemn the incident, a short report had also been written by Jai kisan Andholan Advocate Avik Saha on July 31. He had addressed the said report to Ms. Dola Sen, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, West Bengal. The same is as follows:
“Respected MP Sen,
Attack on Life, Liberty & Fundamental Rights of Indian Citizens from West Bengal at P. Bengipur Colony, Police Station Bannerghatta, Bangalore, Karnataka – Request for Highlighting Issue in Parliament and Action
About 70 families comprising of about 400 persons hailing from Village Uttar Kodalia, PS Basirhat, West Bengal reside at a colony at P. Bengipur, Police Station Bannerghatta, Bangalore, Karnataka. These persons are mostly manual workers and scavengers.
Yesterday, 30th July, 2024, some right wing news channels along with police force, bulldozers and JCBs came to the colony and started threatening the families saying that they are Bangladeshis and their identities as Indian citizens are fake. Some houses and community buildings were destroyed with bulldozers and electricity supply to the houses was disconnected. Videos and photos of the incident and interviews with the resident of the colony are attached to this message.
The fact is that all these persons are Indian citizens hailing from West Bengal and are living in Bangalore for their livelihood and are being constantly threatened with persecution, imprisonment, displacement, and pushback only because of their religious beliefs. The contact person for this group is Rehana Khatun who is being assisted by a local person, R Kaleemullah.
We request you to kindly inform the government of West Bengal about the torture and suffering of these families from West Bengal so that appropriate action can be taken at government-to-government level with the Govt. of Karnataka.
We further request you to kindly raise this issue in Parliament to highlight how Indian citizens are being tortured and persecuted by the right wing forces only because they belong to the minority community.
We will be grateful for your kind intervention and help in this matter.”
As provided by R. Kaleemulla, the West Bengal government is constantly in touch with the Karnataka government and is taking all the necessary steps to protect the migrants being evicted. At the time of the filing of this story, the eviction drive had been paused.
It is essential to note that this is not the first time that migrants in Bengaluru have been deemed to be “Illegal Bangladeshi Migrants”. A similar situation had arisen in Bengaluru in June of 2022 when a police search unit burst into a waste segregation centre overflowing with plastic waste, alongside which nearly 40 people lived in corrugated iron sheds with no sewers or electricity, and poor Bengali migrants were targeted by the state police. As per a report of Article 14, Bengali Muslim migrants living in ramshackle slums alongside the glass-and-steel buildings of Electronics City, were harassed in police sweeps in search of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and had their lives upended. Despite identity proofs—some illegally procured, according to the police—including an income-tax filing in one case, many face harassment and days in police lockups, a violation of their rights.
Awareness by R. Kaleemullah and Rosline Gomes activists from Bangalore, Swaraj Abhiyan
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