Author: Vasundhara Sanger
Publication: The Times of India
Date: October 1, 2008
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Bangladeshis_will_outnumber_Marathis_in_Mumbai_warns_BJP_leader/articleshow/3549836.cms
Former BJP MP from Mumbai, Kirit Somaiya,
warned on Tuesday at a press that the alarming growth of migrant workers infiltrating
into the city from Bangladesh, over the last three decades, has exposed Mumbai
to the danger of being usurped by the Bangladeshi Muslims.
Based on evaluation from the subsequent census
reports of the Government of India from 1971 to 2001, he said the Hindu growth
was 19% in the last 20 years while the Muslim-Bangladeshis growth was almost
doubled to 38%.
According to Somaiya the total population
of Hindus in Mumbai City District was 21.19 lakh and that of Muslim-Bangladeshis
was 7.34 lakhs. Out of the total population of 33.38 lakh, Muslim-Bangladeshis
accounted for 22% in the Mumbai City District.
The purpose behind bringing this study was
to urge the establishment to save Mumbai from becoming Bangladeshi Mumbai,
he said. "There is an urgent need to study the growth of Bangladeshis
population in Mumbai - how they are coming in and getting settled down, the
manner in which they are getting various documents, how do they get themselves
registered on the government records etc," said Somaiya.
However, Mr Somaiya only listed the Hindu
growth (and not any other community like Sikhs, Muslims, Christians etc) from
the government's census report. As for the Bangladeshi migration to the city
he termed it as "Muslim Bangladeshis" only, ignoring the fact that
there may be Hindus from the neighbouring state who could be migrating to
India.
To this he replied, "Hindus in Bangladesh
need not come to India, illegally. If they apply for Visa or citizenship,
they will get it in India. It's the Muslim Bangladeshis who feel the need
to migrate illegally. "
As for quoting only the growth (or the lack
of it) the Hindu population in Mumbai, he said "My intention was to study
the abnormal growth vis-à-vis Muslim Bangladeshi illegally migrants.
Hence, the report."
Not just Mumbai, cities like Kolkata (in West
Bangal) and Gurgaon (Haryana) in the Delhi NCR region have allegedly seen
a heavy growth in illegal Bangladeshi population.
The report could also be a subtle attempt
to sound wake up call to those who are opposing their own country men from
living and working peacefully in Mumbai. In the last few months, Mumbai has
seen vitiating and violent attacks from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on
migrant workers of UP and Bihar, in order to oust them from Maharashtra.
