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A deeply troubling issue is unfolding along India’s border with Bangladesh, which deserves far more attention than it has received. On Friday alone, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) made at least ten separate attempts to push groups of people —men, women, and children — across the zero line into Bangladesh. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) thwarted each attempt. At least 88 people are now stranded in no-man’s land. According to Human Rights Support Society, at least 166 people were pushed into Bangladesh in May alone.
These do not appear to be isolated or rogue incidents. Rather, they seem to reflect the blatant expression of a political campaign against particular groups. Since the Bharatiya Janata Party’s recent electoral victories in West Bengal and Assam, anti-migrant rhetoric has hardened into policy.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a “detect, delete and deport” framework within days of taking office, directing police to hand detainees over to the BSF for removal and instructing district administrations to establish holding centres across border districts.
In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma admitted to the practice, saying his government pushes alleged migrants across the border at night and at locations where Bangladeshi forces are absent, because formal deportation procedures are too slow.
