Indian cops term freedom fighter as Bangladeshi terrorist

[Spring Onion]

Cops accuse freedom fighter, 87, of being Bangladeshi terrorist
TNN 15 November 2009, 02:26am IST


AHMEDABAD: An 87-year-old who participated in the Quit India movement was shocked when Ahmedabad cops summoned him on Tuesday, suspecting him to be a Bangladeshi terrorist, living under a fictitious identity.


Santosh Kumar Saha fled his native village of Bagura, now in Bangladesh, in 1942, to Howrah to evade an arrest warrant for taking part in the Quit India movement. His service to the nation was acknowledged by none other than Mahatma Gandhi, who presented him a shawl. After India got freedom from the British, Rabindranath Tagore’s cousin Saumendranath sent him to Ahmedabad with a recommendation for a job. Since 1947, Saha has been living in the city.

‘‘We never faced such a humiliation even during the British era,’’ Saha said on Friday. The old man, who is living alone in his house in Sabarmati area, was shocked when two policemen barged into his house on Tuesday evening. They carried out a search, ransacking his house. Their point was that Saha was a Bangladeshi Muslim living in the city by assuming a Hindu name and was possibly an ISI agent.

Shocked with the inquiry, Saha could barely explain to the constables that he was a freedom fighter. However, the constables were not interested in listening to him and left asking him to come to the police station next morning. Saha reached the police station on Wednesday and waited for the officer. The police recorded his statement based on questions — For how long you are in Ahmedabad? What is your real name? Are you a Muslim? We have received information that you are a Bangladeshi Muslim and living here with a false Hindu name and have got links with the ISI. What do you have to say about this?

This was something the old man could not bear. With help of his lawyer, he dashed off letters to the Gujarat government and senior police officers narrating his traumatic experience. He has urged the authority to protect him from police.

Cops accuse freedom fighter, 87, of being Bangladeshi terrorist - India - The Times of India

 

[idune]

Only in india trying to purge its own population with pretext of militant, migrant and what not.

 

[Spring Onion]

This is very sad even if you buy Indian police's claim, one wonders howcome an 87 years old man can be a terrorist and do wrong

 

[EjazR]

If its true its disgraceful. The police should be a there to serve and protect. Looks like even after the recent fake encounter exposures the Gujarat police is not following standard operating procedures and doing thorough investigations rather than harass and intimidate people.

Its is urgently needed to get Police reforms done. I hope that the responsible officers get punished and if the Gujarat govt. has formed the state human rights commission a complaint should be lodged there as well.

 

[Goodperson]

This Gentleman should be given respect and allowed to stay as he was part of freedom movement and chose to stay in India during Partition.

I see no harm in inquiry by the Police but the Police in Gujarat are on right track.

Other states should follow the suit and kick illegal BD's very very hard with no respect.

 

[eastwatch]

This Gentleman should be given respect and allowed to stay as he was part of freedom movement and chose to stay in India during Partition.

I see no harm in inquiry by the Police but the Police in Gujarat are on right track.

Other states should follow the suit and kick illegal BD's very very hard with no respect.

You BJP bigot changed the story from that of a Bangladeshi TERRORIST to Bangladeshi ILLEGALS. Shame on you. Where the hell do you see our citizens in your 3rd world poor country, where 60% of the population do not have even walled latrines?

 

[vkurian]

You BJP bigot changed the story from that of a Bangladeshi TERRORIST to Bangladeshi ILLEGALS. Shame on you. Where the hell do you see our citizens in your 3rd world poor country, where 60% of the population do not have even walled latrines?

Please don't get emotional.

You are right in all that you said but the at the same time its a fact that we have huge number of illegal Bangla deshi imigrants.Bangaldeshis are welcome but they should come thru proper channel and should not overstay.

 

[Spring Onion]

Please don't get emotional.

You are right in all that you said but the at the same time its a fact that we have huge number of illegal Bangla deshi imigrants.Bangaldeshis are welcome but they should come thru proper channel and should not overstay.

But the man being termed as terrorist by India is not an illegal Bangladeshi but a man who fought for Indian freedom.

 

[third eye]

Unfortunate if true but not surprising considering the fact that everyone is behaving like a cat on a hot tin roof these days.

Cops in S Asia have obviously not read dale carnagie's ' How to win friends & influence people'.

Will get worse closer to 26/11 & Republic Day.

 

[Halaku Khan]

Other states should follow the suit and kick illegal BD's very very hard with no respect.

Anybody who works hard for a living should be treated with human dignity and respect. But yes, all illegal immigrants should be asked to leave.

India does, however, have some obligation towards those minorities from Pakistan and Bangladesh who have been victimized there.

 

[Al-zakir]

This Gentleman should be given respect and allowed to stay as he was part of freedom movement and chose to stay in India during Partition.

I see no harm in inquiry by the Police but the Police in Gujarat are on right track.

Other states should follow the suit and kick illegal BD's very very hard with no respect.

What the **** are you talking about? Do you have anything left in your vegetarian brain. How the hell this guy is an illegal Bangladeshi when he moved to Ahmedabad in 1942.

Santosh Kumar Saha fled his native village of Bagura, now in Bangladesh, in 1942,

 

[booo]

This is very sad even if you buy Indian police's claim, one wonders howcome an 87 years old man can be a terrorist and do wrong

If its true its disgraceful. The police should be a there to serve and protect. Looks like even after the recent fake encounter exposures the Gujarat police is not following standard operating procedures and doing thorough investigations rather than harass and intimidate people.

Its is urgently needed to get Police reforms done. I hope that the responsible officers get punished and if the Gujarat govt. has formed the state human rights commission a complaint should be lodged there as well.

Truly disgraceful, they should've used a little commonsense before calling such person a terrorist. This gentleman deserves an apology.

He should file a defamation case against the police and govt.

 

[Spring Onion]

Truly disgraceful, they should've used a little commonsense before calling such person a terrorist. This gentleman deserves an apology.

He should file a defamation case against the police and govt.

I am an outsider and still it had realy hurt me to see the treatment a freedom fighter got. I wonder how much hurt the elderly man be.

 

[TopCat]

But the man being termed as terrorist by India is not an illegal Bangladeshi but a man who fought for Indian freedom.

He should not have left Bangladesh in the first place, that was his biggest shame. Now a cops inquired about his identity which I dont think a big deal. He was in quit India movement while he was in Bangldesh in 1942, so Indias should not clam his contribution to that as their own.

Send him back to Bangladesh.

 

[TopCat]

This Gentleman should be given respect and allowed to stay as he was part of freedom movement and chose to stay in India during Partition.

I see no harm in inquiry by the Police but the Police in Gujarat are on right track.

Other states should follow the suit and kick illegal BD's very very hard with no respect.

Why did you leave India dude? Somebody kicked you hard too????