(A Spl feature based on first hand account of a Retired Tripura Govt senior official (ICDS Supervisor) in the Social Welfare Department)
Brought up and educated in Kamalpur, Tripura --- bordering Adia Bagan hamlet of onetime East Pakistan and now Bangladesh --- Jharna Deb later turned a matured mom and an affectionate grand mom.
Here she pours out her heart on what happened in the border hamlet called Kamalpur in Tripura .. in 1971 and how she and her parents Late Sachindra Deb and Late Malati Deb with younger siblings had even deserted Nawa Gaon house after explosive shelling rained.)
(Based on informal interaction and Whatsapp chats with her New Delhi (NCR)-based grand daughter Tanvi Dev )
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| Mrs Jharna Deb and her 'Pakhi' Tanvi |
"Lakhs of Bangladeshi immigrants and mostly Hindus - if not all - came in... Unfortunately at a later stage after 1971, things turned ugly in Assam. Student unrest is something everyone will recall.
Yes I agree to your question it changed the geo-politics of Assam and north east India. In later years militants from various states took shelter in Bangladesh.
It's ironic that a country created by India and our soldiers and money was working against India".
"Influx of Bangladeshis became a menace. It changed the story of Assam and also other northeastern states.
"The moment I heard about the 2024 crisis and Sheikh Hasina leaving her power and country, I thought influx of Bangladeshi Hindus should be a major concern".
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| personal diary notes |
On 1971 influx, she recalls : "Katarey Katarey .... lok sharnarti hoe Tripura dhuke giye chhilo (Lakhs of people turned refugees overnight and had entered Tripura.... Of course our Kamalpur was no exception".
"Initially those who came tried to park themselves safely in relatives' and known people's houses. Later on it turned big and mass scale. They started to put in 'shibir' temporary camps".
To a question her eyes almost turned moist and she opened up: "Hindu Bangali der chhokher jol.. vitey mati chhara chhele meyeder niye Othoi sagarey habu dubu ...
(Hindu Bengalis with tears welled up in their eyes, homeless and rootless had entered Kamalpur and still did not know what all were stored for them".
Asked to comment if she recalled anything from her interaction with those 'helpless Hindu refugees', Jharna Deb (now 72) says: "Oder mukhey shunechhi - We have heard from them Muslim society was always very violent and aggressive.
After Bangladesh was formed, Muslim Bangladeshis had almost made up their mind not to accept Hindus in their neighbourhood and hence they were asked to leave".
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| Mujib Memorial Dhaka : 2017 snap |
At times during interaction, Jharna Deb also spoke about the role of Indian army and the then Government in Delhi.
"India was emerging strong... 1965 war against Pakistan and India"s success under Lal Bahadur Shastri had given a renewed confidence. In 1971 Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister. The Indian army was in high spirits. Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw and other officers Lt Gen JFR Jacob were great soldiers.. When the war was on... every Indian seemed to believe Bangladesh will be a reality soon".
Of course, agonies of Hindus left Jharna Deb and many youngsters of those days aggrieved. "I recall meeting a few Bangladeshi Hindus then ... who had come over to Tripura and perhaps knew they will not be welcome back home. Yet they would insist - "Bangladesh is our desh -- otai amader desh". We will go back soon".
Talking philosophically once or twice Jharna Deb would also reflect upon the lessons the human race in general and Indians or Hindus should draw from such catastrophic crises.
"War or conflicts like what we experienced in Bangladesh in 1971 is like an illness too. Nobody will like the confrontation and the unending tragedy attached with it. But when such conflicts get a grip on you, it has to be cleared up quickly.... the delay can only make things more complex".
ends
'Candid Talk' : Jharna Deb
(To be continued...)
(The piece is anchored by blogger)
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