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A ready reserve army for the ISI

A ready reserve army for the ISI

Author: Pramod Kumar Singh/New Delhi
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: April 26, 2001

It is a reserve army, tailor-made for the operations of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) of Pakistan - an indigent migrant population harbouring little or no loyalty to the host country.

This is the story of Sanjay Amar Colony, a shanty cluster of over 1 lakh jhuggies, dominated by the Bangladeshi migrants, who are playing havoc with the social fabric of Delhi.

At least 20 Bangladeshis lodged in Tihar are facing charges of carrying and planting explosive devices in the Capital. The majority of them were picked up from Sanjay Amar Colony.

This colony, spread over hundreds of acres of government land on the Yamuna Pushta, is the hub of all kinds of nefarious activities. Drugs, illicit liquor, sex, blue films and illegal country-made weapons are easily available here. A police post with a skeleton staff is no match for the migrant population. Serpentine lanes and by-lanes make matters worse for the law enforcing agencies. The topography of this JJ cluster is such that once somebody is trapped in the labyrinth of jhuggies, he can't get out easily. Cops still shudder at the thought of the ferocious attack at the police post about 10 months ago. The attack was masterminded by drug lords and arms merchants who rule the roost here.

Such is their sway over the inhabitants that even the Indian population appears to be living at their mercy.

In fact, a report submitted by the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had warned in 1999 that the mushrooming of Bangladeshi immigrants in the Capital was not in the interest of the country.

Despite the damning report, very little was done to remove this blot from the Capital. A trip in this den of drug and illegal arms is quite an eye opener. Most of the residents here are either daily wagers or rickshaw pullers. The colony initially came up with jhuggies of labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Bangla Basti was the last of the cluster but has steadily spread its tentacles, forcing others to leave. At the last count, about 50,000 illegal immigrants were said to be living here. As one walks down a narrow lane at the entry point of Bangla Basti, a few pucca rooms stand out in a sea of hutments. These are occupied by the "richer" immigrants. Some of the enterprising ones have also opened shops in their houses.

There are shops selling red and green handloom sarees, popular among the local women. At twilight, it seems as if a carnival is in full swing. Every evening it is a virtual haat as the neighbourhood spills out of homes.

Further down, the lane branches out into several smaller ones sandwiched between numerous hutments. It is almost like a beehive, with the interlocking lanes but distinctly separate cells. In some hutments, the process of cooking has already begun in dim kitchens. The meal is meant for the guests, who do not necessarily come here for fish curry.

There are those who get their daily 'pudia' of smack from here. And they are easily visible to a discerning eye.

The sale, in fact, is in the open and the peddlers hardly seem to fear law.

The crime profile of this cluster is best evident from the large number of cases registered involving theft, robbery, Arms Act, NDPS (drugs) Act and lately subversive activities. These illegal migrants have been found to be increasingly involved as the ISI conduits.
 


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