Cooch Behar: Around 250 farmers rally against 'high-handedness' of BSF troops

 Protest march, organised by Association for Protection of Democratic Rights, had participants from Tufanganj subdivision of the district

Residents near the Bangladesh border in Tufanganj, Cooch Behar, take a protest march on Wednesday against alleged atrocities of the BSF.: Main Uddin Chisti

TT Correspondent, Cooch Behar, 28.12.23 : Around 250 farmers of Cooch Behar near the Bangladesh border marched to the district magistrate’s office on Wednesday with a memorandum, alleging high-handedness of the BSF troops that guard the border and seeking administrative intervention.

The protest march, organised by the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), had participants from the Tufanganj subdivision of the district.

“The BSF stops us from cultivating jute and corn in our land and says such crops reduce visibility at the border. In fact, in some areas, the situation has reached such an extent that a farmer has to seek permission from the local BSF camp before planning the cultivation of any crop. We are harassed on different pretexts and want the administration to step in. Farmers like us are facing huge problems at the border,” said Abdul Sattar, an elderly farmer.

Farmers told newspersons that those with agricultural fields beyond the fences had to face more trouble.

“They are not allowed to carry out cultivation in a free manner. Restrictions on entry and exit through the border gates (which they need to cross to reach their land and return home) are being imposed in whimsical ways. We have filed complaints with the police and the administration but no steps have been taken so far. That is why we have come to the district magistrate’s office today,” said another protester, Jainuddin Sarkar.

According to them, there are acres of farmland beyond the fences and hundreds of farmers are dependent on it.

“In Tufanganj-I block alone, there are around 9,000 farmers who have farmland behind the fences. Each has at least 10 bighas of land,” said Bakir Hossain, another farmer.

Farmers demanded that the administration should see to it that they do not face any inconvenience.

“If the BSF doesn’t let us cultivate crops on our land, they should pay Rs 30,000 as compensation for every bigha of land. Officials of the district administration should take up these issues with the BSF,” said a protester.

Senior BSF officials couldn’t be contacted to comment on the record on Wednesday's protest.

A source in the central force, however, said that the BSF is a disciplined force and acts according to laid down rules and guidelines.

“There are specific timings when gates are opened at the borders for farmers and others who live behind the fences. Also, checking is done routinely to prevent entry of any unauthorised person into the country. The force also conducts community development programmes and helps bordering residents in cases of emergencies regularly,” said the source.

In the past, both chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her party MP Abhishek Banerjee have questioned the BSF's conduct in Cooch Behar.