Bangladesh in Maharashtra

Mumbai:

A new settlement called Bangladesh Zopadpatti has surfaced at Bhayandr (West), within weeks of the discovery of the presence of Chhota Pakistan in neighbouring Nalasopara — a development that has created a sensation in Mumbai and adjoining Thane district.

The presence of Bangladesh Zopadpatti (which means Bangladesh slum) came to light when the health department of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) issued a birth certificate last month to a dweller at Gandhinagar slum, located near Subash Chandra Bose ground at Bhyandar (West).

Located 41km from each other, Bhayandar and Nalasopara form a part of Thane district, although though the former is only 38km from Mumbai and the latter 66km. Both towns have a large number of Muslims.

Nearly 700 families live in a particular slum colony of Bhayandar (west) where the residents possess government documents like Unique Identity (UID) cards and PAN cards (cards issued by the Income Tax departments). The addresses in most of these documents carry the word “Bangladesh”.

The inquiries by the authorities have revealed that the residents from this slum locality come from places in rural Maharashtra in Amravati and Yavatmal in Vidarbha region and Nanded in neighbouring Marathwada.

Despite having lived in this area for over three decades, the residents here do not know the word “Bangladesh” has come to be associated with the address of their locality.

Following the latest Bangladesh slum controversy, MBMC Deputy Commissioner Sambaji Panpatte has said that the civic administration would investigate as how the word “Bangladesh” has become a part of an address of a birth certificate issued by the health department.

The presence of Bangladeshi Zopadpatti in the neighbourhood of Mumbai is as shocking as the presence of Chhota Pakistan, which was discovered when residents of Santosh Bhavan at Nalasopara received electricity bills from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution co-Ltd (MSEDCL) carrying the address.

Significantly, the UID cards carried the name Chhota Pakistan in the address.

Much to discomfort of the authorities, a local corporator raised the Chhota Pakistan issue at the general body meeting of Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) a few weeks ago.

The twin developments have sparked a debate in the metropolis. As in other parts of Mumbai like Kurla, Mankhurd and Deonar in Mumbai and Mumbra in Thane district, the authorities concede that there is presence of illegal Bangladeshis at Bhayandar and Nalasopara. In this context, one should not be surprised as to how the word Bangladesh has become a part of the address of a Bhayandar slum.

“Last year, we have arrested 1186 men and 426 women Bangladeshi’s who crossed the Indian border without sanctioned immigration permission. The arrested immigrants included 217 children,” a senior Mumbai Special Branch officer said.

The Bangladeshi immigrants were arrested during raids conducted in different parts of the city including, Thane, Mumbra, Mankhurd, Deonar and Kurla.

“Our investigations revealed that there are many more illegal immigrants who continue to live in rural Thane in areas like Mira Road, Naigaon, Bhayandar and Nalasopara, following which we will be conducting more raids,” the officer said.