Cooch Behar farmers protest BSF 'highhandedness', allege restrictions and demand compensation
Hundreds claim harassment, limited access to farmland beyond border fences
With a petition in hand, some 250 farmers from Cooch Behar, close to the Bangladeshi border, marched to the district magistrate's office on Wednesday to protest the alleged highhandedness of the border-guarding BSF personnel and to request administrative action.
The district's Tufanganj subdivision sent representatives to the protest march, which was organized by the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR).
"The BSF forbids us from growing maize and jute on our property, claiming that doing so would hinder visibility at the border. In fact, things have become so bad in certain places that before a farmer plans to plant any crops, they have to get permission from the nearby BSF camp. We urge the government to intervene because we are harassed under many pretexts. Farmers like us are dealing with enormous challenges at the border," an elderly farmer named Abdul Sattar said.
Farmers told reporters that the difficulty was worse for those whose crops extended beyond the barriers.
"They are not permitted to engage in unrestricted cultivation. The border gates, which people must pass to go to their property and back home, are imposing arbitrary restrictions on admission and leave. Although we have complained to the administration and the police, nothing has been done as of yet. That is the reason we are here at the district magistrate's office today," Jainuddin Sarkar, a different protestor, said.
They claim that hundreds of farmers rely on the acres of farmland that are located outside the barriers.
There are over 9,000 farmers with acreage behind the barriers in Tufanganj-I block alone. Everybody owns at least ten bighas of land," said another farmer named Bakir Hossain.
Farmers requested that the authorities make sure they had no inconveniences.
"The BSF should compensate us for every bigha of land if they prevent us from growing crops on our property, which would be Rs 30,000. One protestor said, "District administration representatives need to discuss these matters with the BSF.
It was unable to get in touch with senior BSF officers to get their thoughts on the protest on Wednesday.
On the other hand, a central force source said that the BSF follows established protocols and is a disciplined force.
Farmers and other residents living behind fences may access the boundaries at certain times when gates are unlocked. Additionally, regular checks are conducted to stop anybody from entering the nation without authorization. According to the source, the force also often assists surrounding neighbors in times of need and runs community building initiatives.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party's MP, Abhishek Banerjee, have already expressed concerns over the BSF's actions in Cooch Behar.
