Protest of Hindu Jagaran Samuskhya against settling Bangladeshi Muslims in Orissa

Bhubaneswar (VISAKEO, Nov 1): In a press conference the State President of Hindu Jagaran Samukshya, Sri Ashok Sahu protested against the proposed relief to settle the migrant Muslims from Bangladesh who were affected in the accidental fire that gutted the Malisahi area on 24 October night at Bhubaneswar. He while welcoming the efforts by various charity organizations with emergency relief materials to help the poor and indigent after the incident, took strong objection to the government proposal to settle them on government land and grant them financial assistance to the tune of 20/25 thousand per family from public exchequer. Shri Sahu recalled that when the old encroachers on the Malisahi were shifted to areas outside the Municipal limit there was no Mosque, which was constructed at a later stage. The illegal migrants who came from Bangladesh have been staying there illegally in pursuance to a well-planned conspiracy to have a vote bank on communal lines. 98% of the affected people are Bangladeshi Muslims who might have voters identity cards issued by authorities in Midnapur and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal. But they have no right to stay in Orissa where more than 35% of the population are below poverty line and victims of government indifference and negligence. On behalf of the Sammukhya, Shri Sahu demanded that the illegal migrants should be expelled from the encroached areas, then they should be identified and expelled from the State under provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1948. In as many as 18 urban areas and many inaccessible rural areas such Bangladeshi Muslims have infiltrated to settle down as permanent residents. Their total number is more than 20 lakh, which is more than the indigenous Muslim population of the State. He urged the government to come out with a statement stating what they are going to do with these migrant Muslims. Shri Sahu further said that in case the State government fails to perform their constitutional duty to protect State against infiltration by foreign Muslims, the Hindu Jagaran Sammukhya would be compelled to resort to agitational programmes as the next option.