In West Bengal's Nadia district, people fearing deportation to Bangladesh are queuing at a BJP MLA's camp to apply for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act. Many claim persecution in their home country and seek official recognition after years in India. The initiative highlights anxieties fueled by media reports and political rhetoric.
Around 45 km from the Petrapol border, BJP MLA Asim Sarkar has turned part of his Palpara residence in Haringhata constituency into a makeshift camp for CAA applications. Operating across his five mandals for two months, the camp has received about 400 applications so far. Volunteers assist with forms requiring applicants' details like name, family information, entry year and place into India, current address, and mobile number. Required documents include proof of Bangladeshi origin and Indian residence, plus a character certificate from a neighbour; if a spouse is an Indian citizen, a passport copy is needed.
Applicants like 50-year-old Milan Roy, who fled Patenga in Bangladesh after persecution, express hope for stability. “I have come to find out how to apply for CAA. I was told by a relative that the Indian government is granting citizenship to those persecuted Hindus who have come from Bangladesh due to atrocities,” Roy told The Indian Express. He paid a middleman to cross the border over a year ago and now lives with relatives in West Bengal, struggling for steady work but optimistic about bringing his family if granted citizenship.
Longtime resident Ram Chandra Guin, 55, who entered India in 1998 with his wife and son, has built a life with a shop, house, and voter ID but fears being pushed back. “I am applying for CAA now because I heard that the government will push back all who have come from Bangladesh. We have seen on TV that many people from Delhi have been sent back to Bangladesh,” he said, noting earlier fears of detention camps like in Assam.
A young couple in their early 30s from Khulna, who arrived on student visas in 2021 with their two-year-old son, view their stay as permanent due to safety concerns. They requested anonymity, stating, “We are not safe there anymore, my son will not be safe there.”
Sarkar, the BJP refugee cell's state convenor, described the effort as humanitarian, criticizing West Bengal's chief minister for misleading refugees. “CAA is for the Hindus. It is a Laxman Rekha,” he said. Local activists attribute the rush to fear from media and rhetoric, while party sources see it consolidating support among Hindu refugees like the Matua community. Challenges persist with documentation for those lacking records, and volunteers help compile evidence. Officials were unavailable for comment, but applicants are advised to follow official channels for verification.