False statement by BSF to hide their misdeeds

STATEMENT

Contradiction to Press Release issued by BSF

Just now we have received a press release from Border Security Force- HQ South Bengal Frontier Office issued today, in which they claimed that due to their concerted effort with local police, a sharp decline in cattle smuggling has occurred. They even quantified the decline and measured it as 80% decline. The claim is not only sarcastic but also far from the truth. 

First of all we want to thank the BSF- Southern Frontier for at last accepting the truth that broader networks of smuggling are behind the cattle smuggling and majority of the cattle are coming from far reach states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajsthan and so on without any check. What they not dared to speak or kept mum is that a whole nexus of police, central excise and custom departments are involved with this illegal smuggling having active patronage from political leaders.

We strongly object their statement because it is their deliberate effort to divert the attention on the issues of human rights violations by the posted BSF personnel in Murshidabad district in specific and other bordering districts of West Bengal in general. It is apparent that the BSF personnel are in neck deep corruption in the said district and having active involvement in cattle smuggling. The smuggling is going on uninterrupted with active participation of BSF personnel from Harudanga, Katlamari, Rajanagar, Borderpara, Bamnabad and Nirmal Char out posts of BSF in Raninagar, Jalangi, Murshidabad.

As BSF in their statement said “The cattle smuggling is the primary cause of attacks and assaults on BSF personnel resulting in firing by BSF men in self defence. The firing incidents leading to killing and injury of BD nationals is a major cause of tension between both Border guarding forces.” The saying is a blatant lie and falsification of occurrences. The BSF personnel indiscriminately fired on villagers having slightest involvement or without having an involvement with smuggling activities, devoid of any prescribed procedures on firing and killing marginalized sections of the populace. It is evidently clear by the fact that in nearly no case the personnel sustained any injury. Majority of the casualties are not Bangladeshi but bonafide Indian citizen. BSF is purposefully trying to deceive by camouflaging their inhumane and torturous acts.

It will pertinent to quote here the observation made by NHRC of india while dealing a case of killing by BSF - “ Before it closes the case, however, it will place on record its view that the leadership of the BSF must not try to shield personnel who brake the law. The Commission expects them to accept their responsibility to ensure that their men act diligently but within the framework of the law, punishing those, like the members of this patrol, who transgress it.” (NHRC Case No. 98/25/13/08-09-PF dated 09.01.2012)

   ----- 10^th March 2012

NB – Press Release issued by BSF is attached below

BORDER SECURITY FORCE

HQ SOUTH BENGAL FRONTIER

2-B LORD SINHA ROAD

KOLKATA-71

PRESS RELEASE

KOLKATA – 10TH MAR, 2012

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Indo-Bangladesh border of Murshidabad district, until recent times, had witnessed large scale cattle smuggling.  The cattle coming in large quantity from cattle-rich states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, used to cross over to Bangladesh with the help of smugglers who formed syndicates to run this illegal business. Bangladesh has high demand of beef not only for local consumption but also for exporting to other countries.  High margin of profit encourage the smugglers to take risk at night to cross the cattle while Border Security Force was guarding the border.  The cattle smuggling is the primary cause of attacks and assaults on BSF personnel resulting in firing by BSF men in self defence.  The firing incidents leading to killing and injury of BD nationals is a major cause of tension between both Border guarding forces.

            However, now the situation has been changing. BSF and local police have worked out a joint strategy to arrest the movement of cattle towards the Border villages from where generally the couriers of smugglers cross the cattle over to Bangladesh taking advantage of dark nights and unfenced patches.   They have also targeted suspected assembling points of the cattle before crossing and carried out joint raids on all such places.  The Joint operations have brought about a perceptible change in the attempts of smuggling.  As much as 80% drop in cattle smuggling is seen as compared to past figures.  The joint operations have started from the first week of Feb as a consequence of decisions taken at higher level. 

            Similar operations are being extended to other border districts like Nadia and North 24 Parganas too.  Hopefully these areas too will witness similar fall in the cattle smuggling.  While police has become active and is conducting operations in hinterland to stop the cattle’s movement, the BSF has enhanced its vigil and tightened its security to frustrate the efforts of smugglers in the border areas.  The joint efforts of police and BSF are yielding appreciable results presently in Berhampore District.

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