Dilip Paul became the 25th victim of detention camp of BJP ruled Assam
Guwahati, 14th October, 2019: ‘Hindus are not foreigners in India’, ‘Citizenship rights of the Hindus will be protected’, ‘Detention camps are not for Hindus.’ These are some of the more recent and most provocative statements made by leaders of BJP and RSS, starting with RSS Sarsanghchalak, Mohan Bhagawat to Amit Shah, the Indian Union Home Minister, Himanta Biswa Sharma, a vociferous Minister of Assam and Siladitya Dev, a BJP MLA, credited with hate-mongering in the same state. Though all of them have been vocal about the protection of Hindu Bengalis excluded from final NRC, these empty words could not save this detainee: Dulal Paul from village Alisinga under Dhekiajuli police station of Sonitpur District died at the Tezpur detention camp after spending about two years in the Tezpur detention camp. His tragic death took place at 9:32 pm on October 13, 2019.
Dulal Paul (64) a resident of Alisinga village under Dhekiajuli police station of Sonitpur District was declared as foreigner though there were some land documents available in his father’s name Rajendra Chandra Paul since 1960. Despite these being shown, the infamous Foreigner’s Tribunals of the state declared him a ‘foreigner.’ After this declaration, Dulal Paul was thrown into the Tezpur detention camp two years ago, on October 11, 2017. When he was languishing in the Tezpur detention camp, his mental and physical condition deteriorated. In this deplorable medical condition, Dulal Paul was admitted at the Tezpur Medical College and Hospital on September 28, 2019. With seriously deteriorating health, on the very next day he was referred to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, where he breathed his last on the morning of October 13.
Speaking to Sabrang India, Sadhan Paul, a nephew of Dulal Paul said, ‘we have all our land documents that date to decades back, right up to 1960. On the basis of these land documents and other citizenship documents, all the names of siblings and other family members of Dulal Paul have been included in the final NRC that was published on August 31, 2019. But it is a matter of deep anguish to us that our uncle, Dulal Paul succumbed to an untimely demise after spending 2 years and 2 days in a detention camp.’
Assam has having six detention centres where the hapless poor and marginalised persons, often unfairly and mala fidely ‘declared foreigners’ are packed off. As per Government data submitted by Home Department to the Assam Legislative Assembly two months back, there are 1,133 persons are languishing in these detention camps. In the same session of the Assam Legislative Assembly, the ministry of Home, Government of Assam declared that 25 of such detainees have died in these detention camps of which 24 persons have died under the present BJP regime that came to power in 2016. Now, after the death of Dulal Paul, the number of deaths in detention camp has increased to 26: under the present BJP regime, 25 lives have been lost to the state’s infamous detention camps. Of these 23, 12 were Hindu persons who have lost their lives in the detention camps, within the three years and six months that the BJP has ruled over Assam.
Is the vociferous claim of the BJP-RSS that they are safeguarding the interests of ‘Hindu Benaglis’ a farce?
All Assam Bengali Youth Student’s Federation President Dipak Dey, reacting to the most recent such detention camp death said, ‘some political party, its leaders and their followers are repeatedly saying that Hindus are not foreigners in Hindusthan. But, Dulal Paul died in detention camp is a Hindu. It is not a normal death but a systemic killing. Dulal Paul died due to greater conspiracy of the present Government. All Bengali Hindus, having self-respect must come out of the illusion created by this party, understand the political conspiracy against them and must stand for protection of citizenship rights of all Indian citizens.’
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