Former Chief Minister of Bihar and Hindustani Aawam Morcha (Secular) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi alleged on Saturday that the Shershahbadi Muslim community is encroaching lands belonging to the Scheduled Castes. Manjhi visited Kishanganj on his tour as a member of the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Committee of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, which studies the implementation of schemes related to these communities.
Recently, Jitan Ram Manjhi’s party HAM(S) joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Earlier this week, Manjhi also attended NDA meeting in Delhi. This visit to Kishanganj marks his first tour of Seemanchal after joining the alliance.
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It is worth mentioning that the BJP has consistently raised the issue of alleged infiltrations in Kishanganj. Last month, Kailash Chaudhary, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture, held a press conference in Kishanganj and stated that local representatives provide shelter to infiltrators from Bangladesh, and Bangladeshi and Rohingya Muslims are big threats for Seemanchal as well as for the country.
During the press conference in Kishanganj, Jitan Ram Manjhi said that the Shershahabadi Muslims have encroached upon the government land.
“Shershahbadi people who came here from outside, have encroached the lands that should belong to the Scheduled Castes, especially in the bordering areas. Not only that, they have also taken over lands that rightfully belong to the Scheduled Caste community”, He added.
The Shershahbadi Muslims form a substantial population in the districts of Katihar and Kishanganj in Bihar, as well as in Malda, Murshidabad, and Uttar Dinajpur districts of West Bengal. Additionally, they have a presence in certain areas of Jharkhand. This community predominantly speaks a unique dialect of the Bengali language.
Speaking about the committee, Manjhi stated that it has been divided into two parts for visiting entire Bihar. One part of the committee is touring East Champaran, West Champaran, Saran, Vaishali and Gopalganj districts, while the other part is touring Purnia, Khagaria, Katihar, Saharsa, Supaul, Kishanganj, Madhepura, and Araria districts. Manjhi is part of the latter group.
The committee met with the district magistrate, the superintendent of police, and officials from various departments in Kishanganj to gather information regarding schemes related to the SC/ST community. They also discussed cases related to atrocities under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act with officials.
During the meeting, the committee expressed dissatisfaction with charge sheets not being filed within the prescribed time limit under the mentioned act. Manjhi also raised questions on low conviction rate in cases flied under the act, and provided suggestions for increasing the conviction rate.
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