The Police in Assam’s Barpeta district has reportedly sent 28 people to the Matia “transit” camp after they were declared “non citizens” by a foreigners’ tribunal.
According to the statement by Barpeta Superintendent of Police Sushanta Biswa Sarma, 19 men and 9 women were sent to the transit camp on Monday in compliance with the tribunal’s order. The individuals, all Bengali-speaking Muslims, were declared foreigners following legal scrutiny.
Bengali-speaking Muslims in various parts of the district were declared foreigners after legal review.Police summoned the individuals to the SP’s office before transporting them by bus to the Matia transit camp under tight security. Outside the SP’s office, a crowd, mainly family members and relatives, gathered, tearfully embracing the declared foreigners.
The foreigners’ tribunals, quasi-judicial bodies handling suspected foreigner cases, are a key component in Assam, which has over 100 such tribunals. The Matia transit camp, originally built as a detention centre at a cost of Rs 64 crore, was renamed to convey a more humane approach. The facility has the capacity to house 3,000 people.
In a video making rounds on the internet, the family members of the FT declared non citizens can be seen outside the SP’s office, crying and hugging each other as some members of the family are declared foreigners and others are not.
Transit camp is the official term for the 3,000-capacity detention centre for FT-declared “foreigners” to be deported.
Established under the Foreigners’ (Tribunal) Order of 1964, FTs are quasi-judicial bodies led by appointed members who adjudicate cases involving individuals suspected of being “foreigners.” The Assam Police’s Border wing identifies these individuals, often labeled as “D (doubtful) voters” or illegal residents, and refers their cases to the FTs. Assam operates 100 such tribunals to handle these cases.
Two months ago, the Assam government reportedly directed the state’s border police to refrain from forwarding cases of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Jain, and Christian individuals who entered India “illegally” before 2014 to the Foreigners Tribunals. This decision, citing the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, means that Hindu Bengalis and other non-Muslim communities in the state will temporarily avoid prosecution by the tribunals, which are tasked with adjudicating citizenship matters.
Reaction Of Politicians
Taking to the social Media platform X, Asaduddin Owaisi Said, “If NPR-NRC happens along with Census this year, these scenes of Muslims could be seen everywhere in the nation. This is why various states, including Telangana, have opposed holding NPR-NRC along with the Census.”
Reaction of Netizens
The incident has sparked a wave of anger among the Netizens, here are some of the reactions.
“Just listen to the cries of these Muslims whose family members were sent to a detention camp in Assam. While other communities are given citizenship under CAA, Muslims are being sent to detention camps,” says Aasif Mujtab
“In Assam’s Barpeta district, 28 Muslims have been sent to a detention camp, including 9 women and 19 men.This is happening under the rule of BJP govt” posted Dhruv Rathee
“If you are a human being and you have humanity in you, then feel these screams, feel their pain…!28 people were sent to detention camp from Barpeta district of Assam, these include 9 women and 19 men. In a moment, loved ones became strangers” says Pooja Mathur.
