Madikeri: Migrant workers' documents verified, police deny it’s linked to CAA


Bengaluru, Jan 25 (IANS): The document verification drive of plantation workers in Kodagu was a routine exercise, without any motive to unearth illegal aliens, a police officer said on Saturday.

"We regularly verify the documents of plantation workers. This was another routine verification, which happens every year. Unnecessarily, the exercise has been blown out of proportion and linked to unrelated developments," Kodagu Superintendent of Police Suman D. Penneker told IANS.

Penneker said the verification drive was not aimed at any illegal migrants from other countries but only at migrant labour within India.

"The main intention of the verification drive was to curb crime because a lot of heinous and non-heinous crime took place in the past, done by outsiders and the estate owners do not know who they were," she said.

On Thursday, Kodagu police verified the documents of 5,000 migrant labourers, advising 500 of them to revisit the police with more documents in a week's time.

The verification drive occurred in Madikeri, Somvarpet Taluk and Virajpet.

"All the people whose documents were verified were from India, nobody from Bangladesh. The drive was not aimed at identifying Bangladeshis but verifying Indian migrant labour," said Penneker.

According to Penneker, there was no instance or case of finding an illegal alien even after verifying the documents.

"This exercise has finally helped us to remove that notion from the people that the migrant labourers are Bangladeshis. They are one of us, we have verified their documents," said Penneker.

However, this year, the police changed the methodology of verification, said Penneker.

"This time, we changed the methodology of verification and it was not summoning anyone. We were just asking them to give the details. We did online verification as some will have fake documents, enabling us to easily rule out fake documents," said Penneker.

The officer said the whole verification was community initiative driven. Though the police asked only a few plantation owners to send their workers for verification, a whole lot of others also joined in.

"They volunteered. They brought their labourers for verification and the whole exercise turned out to be bigger than intended," she said.

Penneker clarified that the verification drive lasted only half a day and was not continuing as quoted by some reports.

"Unlike what was reported, the labourers were not made to stand in long queues. In fact, after the verification, most resumed their work in the estates," said Penneker.

Complaints from locals, plantation owners, organisations and associations against the migrant labourers coming from various parts of the country is a regular affair, leading to police keeping an eye on the workers.

"Locals complain of suspicious movement, allege that the labourers are Bangladeshis who are targeting some place," she said.

Though some locals demanded district wide verification, Penneker said she could not do it.

However, the police regularly visit the estates and collect details.

"Many media houses tried to link it with the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, but it was not so. Though the media has exaggerated the verification drive, it was very well taken by the local population," said Penneker.

 

  

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Comment on this article

  • Flavian, Mangaluru/Kuwait

    Sun, Jan 26 2020

    1947 after the patrician, Hindus or any other minorities were not forcibly sent to PAK. whoever opted to settle in Pakistan on their own they were allowed to migrate and when time to welcome back all are allowed ' Ghar Wapsi', except Muslims. What is the logic in that ?

    DisAgree [5] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • S Shetty, Tulunaad

    Sun, Jan 26 2020

    Login is simple they wanted a Muslim Only Country, not Us.. Go and Read Two Nation Theory.

    In that case, why do they want to come back to India??

    DisAgree [3] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rajesh, Mangalore

    Sun, Jan 26 2020

    Ok. if the Law is tweaked to include Ahmmediyas & shias, will you stop cribbing about this exercise?
    if this happens it becomes religion neutral right?. Just wanted to know. Can you tell me bringing out honesty residing in you, why only certain countries are theocratic? Can you see a common factor? why just any other country does not become theocratic?. if after some 5 decades or so if India becomes theocratic because of demographic change, Can Mr Flavian cannot stop this country become theocratic?

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • John Tauro, M'lore

    Sun, Jan 26 2020

    During partition all didn’t have option to stay back or to crossover. Many could not come to India due to poverty or financial constraints, many employed cities like Karachi and Lahore stayed backed for fear of losing their jobs since both India and Pakistan, though divided on basis of religion were secular in the beginning. Problems for minorities started after Pakistan turned theocratic in a few years after partition. The Nehru-Liaqat Accord was signed for the protection of minorities in both countries. The dishonouring of this historic accord by Pakistan finally compelled India to enact CAA for the relief of persecuted minorities. The logic is in theocratic countries it is the minorities who suffer persecution and not the majority.

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rufus Lewis, udupi/usa

    Sat, Jan 25 2020

    Present Bangladesh economy is better than India, now a days Indians going to Bangladesh to work in the garment companies very sad to say.

    DisAgree [4] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sanjay, Hebri

    Sat, Jan 25 2020

    Good, we should send all paki and bangla muslims out as we have already given them their share in 1947....

    DisAgree [35] Agree [17] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Sat, Jan 25 2020

    Sanjay, Hebri
    I'm glad you agree that CAA, NCR & NRC is Idiotic ...

    DisAgree [8] Agree [23] Reply Report Abuse

  • Prabhu, Karkala

    Sat, Jan 25 2020

    NRC process already started. Don't waste time

    DisAgree [3] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sma, Mangalore

    Sat, Jan 25 2020

    Did u find any pakis or Bangladeshi nationals..... If yes let the govt send them back immediately.. Along with this..... find out who allowed them to cross the border and settle here..... Punish them properly...

    DisAgree [1] Agree [29] Reply Report Abuse

  • KUMAR, calicut, Kerala

    Sun, Jan 26 2020

    Dear Sma I fully agree with you. I dont think that illegal immigrants manager to come to our land without the help of some bureacruats and even politicians who might have collected hundreds of thousands of rupees. This issue is required to be investigated and culprits should be punished + penalised. For your information, GDP of Bangladesh is better than our country and many indians are not going to Banglandesh in search of job as we have hundreds of thousands of unemployed youth. BJP govt only did jumalabazi during election compaign that they will provide jobs to lakhs of people and people voted them to power with trust. But they now came to know that it was a jumla and girmik and not true.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Madikeri: Migrant workers' documents verified, police deny it’s linked to CAA



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