UP DGP Asks Top Cops to Start Identifying Illegal ‘Bangladeshi and Foreigner’ Immigrants

Along the lines of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, Uttar Pradesh police too have taken up an initiative to identify Bangladeshis and "other foreigners" living across the state so that they can be “deported” ahead of the festive season. The move is "very important" for the state's internal security, the UP Director General of Police (DGP) said in a letter issued to all district police chiefs, IG, DIG range and ADG zone.

The draft prepared by the DGP Headquarters for NRC suggests identifying new settlements in and around the railway stations, bus stands, roadsides and slum clusters at the outskirts of all districts where Bangladeshi and other foreign nationals could be taking refuge illegally. Apart from this, video recording of this verification work will be done with caution and using fingerprints. In the investigation, if the person questioned reveals their address in some other state or if they are found suspicious, then it will be verified in a time-bound manner.

The police have also been instructed to track down government employees who may have helped prepare fake documents for these "foreigners".

Commenting over this NRC-like initiative in Uttar Pradesh, Srijan Yogi Adiyog, a member of Insani Birdari, who works in the slum areas of the state, told NewsClick, “The move to identify Bangladeshis and other intruders in Uttar Pradesh is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s attempt at polarising people. They are targeting only the poor people and hardworking labourers. This government is not only anti-poor, but is also anti-human. Our state is among the regions that tops the number of poor and homelessness in the country, but nobody pays any heed.”

“Since after [CM] Adityanath praised the NRC, people living in the slums areas are frightened and don’t know what will happen next. There is panic among them, as it is very difficult to prove one’s identity. They are poor rag-pickers, sanitation workers, rickshaw-pullers, etc., and for them, it is an uphill task to find legal documents to prove their identity. In Lucknow's slums, majority of the people are Bengali-speaking Assamese, and they are the ones who clean the city and now they will be labelled as ‘Bangladeshis’. People are running from pillar to post in various departments to procure their documents. People are reacting to this because they have been told that Modi will make this country better and will teach a lesson to the Muslims," he said.

Meanwhile, after the final draft of the NRC Assam, 19 lakh people were left out of the NRC. Later, many BJP-ruled states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand have talked about implementing NRC.

Foundation coordinator of Asanghatit Kamgar Adhikar Manch—a forum which is working for unorganised sectors in Lucknow—Sandeep Khare told NewsClick, "There are over 737 slums in Lucknow in which nearly 12,000 people live. Forty-five percent of the total population lives in slums in Uttar Pradesh. The population of slums is increasing because the municipal boundary extension is also increasing. Many houses have turned into slums due to this. So scrutiny in slums is not possible at all, and by doing this, administration is trying to scare people. According to data provided by Giri Addhyayan Vikas Sansthan, 3,200 people sleep on the roads in Lucknow and according to informal data, there are about 12,000."

"People living in shelters come from neighbouring districts like Sultanpur, Sitapur, Unnao, Hardoi. If they are unable to prove their identity, will the government send them to their homes and snatch away their jobs?" asked Sandeep. 

He went on and added, "Everyone knows the motive of this government behind such exercises. Their target is the minorities. The officials will now harass and exploit poor people in the name of documents."

Also read: Panic Over NRC in Bengal, Long Queues in Front of Govt Offices