Birbhum (West Bengal): Will Never Go To Delhi Again: Pregnant resident of West Bengal’s Birbhum district, Sunali Bibi, who was repatriated to India on 5 December after spending almost 5 months in Bangladesh upon allegedly being pushed across the border without legal process, reached her village on Saturday and was taken to Rampurhat Medical College Hospital, where she is undergoing treatment.
Sunali Bibi, who is suffering from anaemia, was admitted to Rampurhat Medical College Hospital after she returned to her village in Birbhum in West Bengal.
She reached Paikar village in Birbhum in an ambulance from Malda at around 2 pm. She met her relatives from the ambulance itself and was directly taken to Rampurhat Medical College Hospital.
Sunali is suffering from Anaemia and she will undergo treatment at this hospital for the time being. Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress is seeing her return home as a legal battle and a victory for humanity.
While returning to Paikar village from Malda Sunali said, “I was in great trouble in Bangladesh. I thank Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, MP Abhishek Banerjee and MP Samirul Islam for arranging my return home. In Bangladesh, police did not torture us but there was a severe shortage of food. As long as Mamata Banerjee sent money from here, we could eat there. But my own country is my own country.”
While returning to Paikar village from Malda Sunali said, “I was in great trouble in Bangladesh. I thank Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, MP Abhishek Banerjee and MP Samirul Islam for arranging my return home. In Bangladesh, police did not torture us but there was a severe shortage of food. As long as Mamata Banerjee sent money from here, we could eat there. But my own country is my own country.”
Will Never Go To Delhi Again: She further alleged that Delhi Police tortured her although she pleaded them for mercy. “I had even pleaded both police and the BSF but they left us in the forests of Bangladesh, where we had to spend two nights. I will never go to Delhi again. I am worried about my husband and Sweety, who are still in Bangladesh. I don’t know if they will at all return home,” she said.
Sunali Bibi and her minor son were repatriated to India through the Mahadipur Immigration Check Post in Malda on Friday evening. However, her husband as well as Sweety Bibi, a resident from her village and her two sons, are still in Bangladesh.
She was nabbed by Delhi Police from Bengali Basti in Sector 26, Rohini, where she worked as a rag picker, on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi national on June 23. Along with Sunali, her husband Danesh and son were also picked up by the police. This apart, three others from her village, namely Sweety Bibi and her sons, Qurban Sheikh (16) and Imam Dewan (6) were also arrested on same charges.
All six were sent to Bangladesh through the Assam border. Then they were detained at Chapai Nawabganj correctional home from August 20 till they were granted bail by a judicial magistrate on December 1.
Meanwhile, a case was filed in the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court to facilitate return of Sunali and five other migrant workers from Bengal. As per the apex court’s order, Sunali and her minor son were brought back to India on ‘humanitarian grounds’.
Although Sunali returned to her village in Birbhum, she was unable to go home and was admitted to the hospital. Sunali was overjoyed to see her daughter after a long time. She told media persons that her health is better than before.
Seema Bibi, Sunali’s sister said, “My brother-in-law Danesh Sheikh is still in Bangladesh and I would have been more happy if he had returned. Even though they had documents, the Central government released them in the forests of Bangladesh and had not given them any food. That is why Sunali is suffering from anaemic”.
Rajya Sabha Trinamool Congress MP Samirul Islam, who was also present at Paikar village, said, “The Narendra Modi government is treating everyone like the British rulers. If you speak Bengali, you are being tortured. We are always with the oppressed. We will continue our legal battle until Sunali’s husband and Sweety and her family return home. In the states where BJP runs the government, if you speak Bengali, you are being kept in detention camps regardless of caste, creed or religion. Our fight against such injustice is on and will continue in the future.”
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress has termed Sunali’s return to her homeland a victory of the legal battle and humanity. At a press conference organised at Trinamool Congress Bhavan on Saturday, the state women, child and social welfare minister Shashi Panja and MoS finance Chandrima Bhattacharya termed this incident as a major victory against the “despicable conspiracy” of the Centre.
Panja said the deportation of these Bengalis was a planned political agenda and the BJP-ruled Central government is abusing its power by violating the Constitution and human rights.
