Centre Warns of Alarming Bangladeshi Influx in Jharkhand’s Santhal Pargana

Solicitor General highlights demographic shift, decline in tribal population percentage

The Centre has alerted the Jharkhand High Court about the growing presence of illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the Santhal Pargana region, raising concerns about demographic changes.

RANCHI – The Jharkhand High Court was informed by the Centre of the alarming increase in the number of illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the Santhal Pargana area, underscoring the demographic shift and its implications.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing the Centre, virtually addressed the court during a PIL hearing on the matter.

He emphasized the significant decrease in the percentage of tribal individuals as a result of infiltration from Bangladesh.

Mehta cautioned that infiltrators could potentially infiltrate other states through Jharkhand, affecting populations beyond the immediate area.

After consulting with stakeholders, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Border Security Force (BSF), the Centre intends to submit a comprehensive response.

The subsequent hearing was scheduled for September 12 by Justice A.K. Rai and Acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad.

Mehta expressed confidentiality concerns and requested that the IB be excluded from the list of respondents.

The court had previously conveyed its dissatisfaction with the non-filing of replies by the state government and various central agencies.

Prior to issuing identification documents, local authorities were directed to verify them against land records to prevent fraudulent claims.

Daniel Danish, a resident of Jamshedpur, submitted the PIL, which alleges that there is widespread infiltration in border districts such as Jamtara, Pakur, Godda, and Sahibganj.

The court was presented with census data that indicated a substantial decline in the tribal population of Santhal Pargana, from 44.67% in 1951 to 28.11% in 2011.

The Centre issued a warning that the situation in the region could further deteriorate if this trend persists.