PM will face a united Bengal on evacuee issue
By A Staff Reporter, Politically the Opposition and the Parties in the Democratic Coalition appear to have united at least on the occasion of the Prime Minister’s visit to Calcutta this morning. Most of the parties on either side feel very strongly that the need of mounting a pressure on the Union Government for tackling the evacuees problem on an emergency basis was never more urgent than at present.
It may be that the Prime Minister will, if necessary, meet some of the leaders of different political parties during her brief halt in Calcutta.
It is in this context that Opposition parties and the Democratic Coalition agreed that the Centre should not only take immediate steps for intervention in the present situation but also assume total responsibility for the evacuees from Bangladesh. Nothing short of this will satisfy the political parties in West Bengal.
This appears to be the highlight of the 25-point memorandum proposed to be submitted by the Council of Ministers to the Prime Minister at Raj Bhavan. The major points covered in this memorandum include the demand for acceptance of responsibility for the evacuees by the Centre and expeditious dispersal of the evacuees to other States. The memorandum pointed out that it was impossible for the State to accept responsibility for the huge mass of population which had migrated from Bangladesh to West Bengal during the last few weeks.
In the light of past experience of the refugees who came over to West Bengal immediately after Independence, the State Cabinet felt that there was hardly any scope for keeping the refugees in the State for any length of time. In fact, the situation had already caused a severe strain on the economy and administration of the State. If the Union Government did not take immediate steps for dispersal of refugees to other states there was a possibility of a total breakdown of the administrative machinery in the immediate future.
The administrative machinery of the State Government, the memorandum pointed out, was totally unable to tackle the problem of such magnitude. According to official figures, 4 million people from Bangladesh had crossed over to the State. On an average about 85,000 evacuees were coming everyday.
Two members of the Cabinet Sub-committee for evacuees. Dr. Zainul Amedin and Mr. Ananda Mohan Biswas, told newsmen on Friday that even limited efforts of the State Government were being frustrated due to indifference of a section of the officials.
The Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister also feel that the influx of evacuees from Bangladesh has created severe strain on both the economy and administration of West Bengal. The administrative machinery of the State is on the brink. Unless positive steps are taken by the Union Government to relieve the strain the State is heading for a crisis.
The Chief Minister told newsmen on Friday that he was especially concerned with the law and order problem being aggravated by the influx. They actually suggested army takeover of the evacuees camps.
The Deputy Chief Minister pleaded for creating a condition favorable for the return of the evacuees to Bangladesh. To him this was the only tangible solution to the problem. He also referred to the Center’s liabilities regarding the evacuees. “They are technically foreigners and it is for the Union Government to look after them,” he said.
Two other things have accentuated the slight of the evacuees whose number has now gone up to more than four million. Firstly, early monsoon has seriously affected those evacuees who could not be provided with a roof. According to Government estimates about 800, 000 pieces of tarpaulin would be required to provide shelter to the evacuees.
Pending dispersal of the evacuees from the State which might take some time, the State Government would like the Centre to place the relief camps in charge of the Indian army. The State Government would, however, run transit camps in eight border districts for which a special machinery was envisaged.
The Prime Minister’s attention will also be drawn to the fact that the State is threatened with the possibility of cholera breaking out in an epidemic form. In this connection the State Government would like to point out that the medical supplies had been far too inadequate. For example, the State Government had requested 86,000 ampules of saline but received only 14,000 so far. What is more, the Union Government had already expressed its inability to supply more.
On the evacuee issue, most leaders of parties in the Opposition appear to be thinking on the same line. Mr. Subodh Banerjee, the SUC leader felt very strongly that the Government of India had done nothing to extend recognition to the Government of Bangladesh and this had to a large extent aggravated the situation. Pointing to the resolution unanimously adopted by the Assembly, he said the State Government too had done nothing to mount pressure on the Center for its implementation.
Emphasizing the urgency of immediate dispersal of the evacuees to other States, Mr. Banerjee pointed out it would be wrong to think that all these evacuees would go back to Bangladesh even when the situation returned to normality. The Government of India should be told very clearly that there was no room available in West Bengal for accommodation of the evacuees from Bangladesh immediate steps should be taken to arrange their dispersal to places like Dandakaranya and the Andamans.
Mr. Banarjee was quite skeptical about the reported decision of mounting some pressure on the Prime Minister on the evacuee question. If the State Government was really serious about it, steps should immediately be taken for organizing “a massive people’s movement against the Central Government.”
The State Secretariat of the CPI also feels that it is no longer possible for the State Government to organize relief measures and provide adequate shelter for the refugees in the State. Apart from the social tension created by the influx the problem has assumed serious proportions. In a situation like this it is necessary to impress upon the Union Government that it should take all responsibilities for the evacuees without any further delay. If necessary, mass movement should be organized throughout the State.
On the law and Order question Mr. Subodh Banarjee expressed surprise that the Union Government as also the State Government had so far allowed the situation to deteriorate. He did not agree that there had been any improvement in the situation. On the contrary it had practically gone beyond the control of the State Government. He expressed doubts whether it would be possible for the Prime Minister even after discussions with the State Government to take effective measures for ending the type of violence which has been seen in the State. The real problem arose because of the partisan manner in which the administrative and the police machinery were functioning in the State. A section of the machinery had, since the UF regime, been operating hand in glove with the CPI(M). This section continued to operate in the same manner even now. Similarly, another section of the machinery was now showing interests in the Congress. If this thing continued it would be impossible to stop individual killing and violence.
It was because of this, Mr. Banarjee felt that it was the duty of all the political parties to sit together and find out ways for tackling the situation.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 05.06.1971