Bengali migrant labourers in Gurugram worried over CAA

Gurugram, Dec 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) The violent protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in differents parts of the country including national capital has created panic among residents of West Bengal and alleged Bangladeshi migrants living in slum clusters here.

However, they have not planned to leave the district as yet.

"We are observing the situation but as district administration of Gurugram has not asked us to leave the city, we are staying here," said Khurshid Alam, who claims himself being a native of Dakshin Dinajpur in West Bengal and currently living in South City 1 slum clusters near Mayom hospital.

"We are living here for over 14 years and now we have a small general store. We also have Aadhar card, Rashan Card and police verification which we will present before the enforcement wing officials if asked to prove identity."

Devjeet Mohanto, native of Maldah district in West Bengal, and living in a hut on rent for last two years said, "Muslim community people are more worried then me."

"Here in South City 1 slum, you can't differentiate who is native of West Bengal and who is Bangladeshi intruder because everyone claims they are residents of districts such as Murshidaabad, Maldah, Dakshin Dinajpur and more and they also present documents issued from the government authorities," Mohanto said.

"We are waiting and watching developments and accordingly take call on it," Mohanto's friend Bijoy Das said.

In South City 1 itself, over 25 thousand Bangali people living here in slums with majority of them are daily wages labourers and their wives are working as domestic helps in upscale residential societies and condominiums.

Sabina Khatoon, a domestic help in nearly ivory apartment said: "if district administration would force us to leave the city, It would be an acute scarcity of maid in the area. People residing in skyscrapers building will be more affected then as as entire housekeeping job in this area will be collapsed then," Khatoon said.

The situation will be more worse on sanitation front as majority of Bengali people are under contract with outsourcing company of Municipal Corporation of Gurugram which is facilitating door step garbage collection in the city.

"My husband is deployed on domestic waste collection vehicle so as other from community people living in this slum. We have nothing to lose here as we are poor people but if we will be removed from here, we will go to some other states to earn for our livelihood but who else would do sanitation work in place of us," said Rabia Ali, who claimed to be a native of Maldah district and living here in slum of South city 1.

Besides South City 1, Bengali people are also living in areas such as at Sector 48, 56, 58 and Dwarka Expressway.

Source: IANS