3am Raids and Parades: Ahmedabad Slums Shaken by Bangladesh Immigrant Hunt
Fear and Uncertainty in Ahmedabad Slums After Mass Detainment
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An unsettling calm has descended upon Chandola talav na chhapra, a sprawling slum on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, two days after a shocking 3am police raid. Over 890 people, including 214 children, were rounded up in the operation aimed at identifying Bangladeshi immigrants in the wake of last week’s attack in Pahalgam.
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While 300 detainees have been released after verifying their Indian identity, the residents of this densely populated area are left reeling from the experience. Many are struggling to come to terms with the fear and humiliation they endured.
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‘It Was like a Lockdown, Except Worse’
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“It wasn’t so bad even at the height of the Covid lockdown,” said a man from Madhya Pradesh, who was released on Sunday after authorities confirmed his Indian citizenship. “My children were scared and traumatized for no fault of their own,” he added, explaining that he had sent his family away to a relative’s house for safety.
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Police Actions Spark Outrage
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The raid, led by Commissioner of Police GS Malik, involved large contingents of police, television crews, and even personnel from the power distribution company who cut off electricity to the area. The Ahmedabad City Police claim to have identified 143 people as Bangladeshi immigrants, 110 of whom allegedly possessed forged Indian identity documents.
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However, the manner in which the operation was carried out has drawn sharp criticism. Residents described being woken up in the middle of the night, their doors banged on with lathis, and being pulled out of their homes. They claimed that women and children were herded along with men, paraded through the streets, and taken to the Crime Branch headquarters in buses.
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Justice and Dignity Sought
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A group of residents are now collecting documents to ensure their legal rights are protected and to provide evidence of the widespread detention of innocent Indian citizens. “We need to be prepared if such a thing happens again,” said a man organizing the effort. “We also want the illegal immigrants to be removed, but what was our fault? We are Indians,” he added.
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Activists are also working to release Indian nationals from detention. Advocate Shamshad Pathan highlighted the presence of Indian citizens from various states, including Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, who were caught up in the raid. Ritu Jaiswal, the State President of the Women’s Wing of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar, even brought the issue to social media, highlighting the case of youths from her constituency who were detained in Gujarat.
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Mujahid Nafees, the Convenor of the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC), has written to the Gujarat DGP, demanding the suspension of police officials involved in parading innocent people through the streets. He cited Supreme Court guidelines that prohibit such practices, stressing that these individuals are ordinary working-class people who have not committed any crime.
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Police Defends Actions
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While acknowledging the release of many Indian citizens, Commissioner of Police GS Malik defended the police actions, stating that all residents were living in illegally constructed structures. He claimed that they had no choice but to conduct the mass raid to prevent residents from fleeing or hiding.
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Demolition Fears in the Air
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Adding to the residents’ anxieties, reports emerged late Monday evening of bulldozers being stationed outside the slum area, fueling fears of an imminent demolition exercise. Attempts to reach the local authorities for comment were unsuccessful.
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Vadodara Also Sees Crackdown
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Meanwhile, the Vadodara City police have screened 1,700 individuals suspected of being Bangladeshi immigrants and have confirmed nine as Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in the city.
