Bodo vs Bangladeshi

[G.Subramaniam]

TEHELKA - Parmeshwar hails from Majuli in Jorhat district. “I was working with a security agency in Hyderabad,” he says, “and earning Rs 12,000 a month. But I will not go back. I will find something here.” Parmeshwar was allegedly threatened by some local Muslim youths when he was at home one night. He left the very next morning.



Parmeshwar’s neighbour, Anil Das, 22, was not so lucky. Anil’s body was found on the railway track near the Burdwan station in West Bengal.



Sanjay Ray, a Kochrajbonshi from Kokrajhar, died after he was thrown off a train between Palasa and Sompeta Railway Station in Andhra Pradesh on 14 August. His body finally reached his village Dimalgaon on 20 August. Tragically, Sanjay met his end when he had gone to Andhra Pradesh to bring Khanin Ray, another youth who was also attacked and thrown off a train on 7 August on his way to Kokrajhar from Kerala. Four people, including Sanjay, had gone to bring Khanin back to his village. On their way back by the Trivandrum Express, they were attacked at the Sompeta Railway Station, and Sanjay was thrown out of the train. The Railway Police later confirmed his death.



At the time of going to press, news came in of another Bodo, Durga Basumatary, being thrown out of a train from Chennai. Basumatary comes from a very poor family in Lakhimpur district. The incident happened in Nellore in Andhra Pradesh and Basumatary is admitted to the Nellore hospital but his family has no money to go and see him.