Balurghat, Aug. 27: CPM MP from Balurghat Ronen Burman has accused the BSF of denying farmers of the region access to their lands which are located beyond the boundary.
Burman said he had taken up the issue with Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani in June but despite a written assurance from him, no action has been taken. He now plans to raise the matter in Parliament.
According to the Lok Sabha member, BSF “harassment” is the maximum in the Dakshin Dinajpur border areas of Tapan, Balurghat, Hili and Kumarganj.
In an effort to check smuggling and infiltration across the border, the Centre has put up barbed-wire fencing all along the 150-km frontier with Bangladesh in the Dakshin Dinajpur district. Since the fencing skirts around 700 yards inside Indian territory from Zero Point, many farming fields now lie beyond the border.
The gates on the border are supposed to be opened four times every day to enable the farmers to cross over to their fields and work there through the day. The gates are supposed to be opened daily at 6 am, 12 noon, 3 pm and 6 pm. However, Burman alleged, the gates are opened only around 7.30 or 8 in the morning and are closed by 11.30 am, leaving the farmers with less time during which to cultivate their fields and bring the produce back to their homes. It’s the same story in the evening, when the gates are opened for a short time. In case the farmers protest, they face harassment in the hands of the jawans, the MP added.
In Calcutta, BSF inspector-general (south) Rajinder Singh said the issue had been sorted out with the West Bengal government following a meeting with chief secretary Sourin Roy. “From now on, the gates will be opened thrice a day for two hours in the morning, afternoon and evening,” Singh said.
The IG said the problem is not restricted to Dinajpur. “Wherever we have barbed-wire fencing, we face a similar problem,” he added.
Burman charged the BSF with committing “atrocities” on the hapless farmers by making them run errands without giving them any remuneration. “If the people refuse, the jawans often beat them up,” the MP said.
He added that he would again take up the matter with Advani on Thursday.
