The plight of Khasi people who are citizens of Bangladesh for all practical purposes and who have been living in their ancestral land at Nahar Punji of Srimangal Upazila in Moulvi Bazar for over 75 years has suddenly turned controversial. These 700 families have been issued eviction notices by the Dhaka Administration. It is not known why this has happened suddenly unless it is a reaction to India’s recent decision to hasten the sealing of borders with Bangladesh, especially in the Assam and West Bengal sector. After the BJP-led Government took over the reins of government in Assam, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has been making this issue of sealing the border with Bangladesh a top priority of his Government. Recently Sonowal has said that the latest technology would be adopted to seal the India-Bangladesh border. The BJP is fulfilling its poll promises to the people of Assam. However, this was step was expected to generate adverse reactions and repercussions from across the border. Unfortunately, this time those who are paying the price are the kith and kin of the Khasi people of Meghalaya.
In 2006-06, the Bangladesh based Society for Environment and Human Development (SEHD) had conducted a study on the Khasis residing in 11 Upazilas of the greater Sylhet District in the Northeastern region of Bangladesh. According to the government census of 1991, the Khasi population in Bangladesh is 12,973. However, there is a lot of controversy over this number. The existing accounts of different sources show a discrepancy as well. It is in this context that the SEHD conducted a socio-economic survey of the Khasi people which has come out in the form of a book – The Khasis of Bangladesh: A socio-economic survey of the Khasi people. The Khasis of Bangladesh have always lived in villages called punjis. These punjis are normally located on the hillocks. There are 85 Khasi punjis in Bangladesh. SEHD conducted the survey with the involvement and cooperation of Greater Sylhet Indigenous People’s Forum (GSIPF). The report presents a brief history of the Khasi people and important information on their present status, population, social system, education, livelihoods, etc. Up until the time of the study there was no controversy about the fact that the Khasi people in Bangladesh are full- fledged citizens of that country and are part of its socio-economic statistics. How have they suddenly become aliens now? This is an issue that Prime Minister Modi needs to immediately take up with his counterpart Sheikh Hasina Wajed, provided he is sufficiently briefed on this issue.