Tension refuses to die down at the strifetorn Indo-Bangla border villages of Jalangi area in Murshidabad district. Just five days after the shootout and double murders at an anti-NRC rally at Sahebnagar village under Jalangi police station limits, fresh violence like firing, arson, clash, assault of women etc, allegedly erupted today at an island of displaced settlers in Paraspur area of Jalangi.

Some BSF personnel allegedly engaged in a pitched battle with local women, mainly housewives, hailing from Paraspur island off the Padma river in Jalangi today, sources said. It was alleged that a team of BSF personnel riding a tractor trespassed into the civilians’ area of Char Paraspur which is actually a settlement of poor farmers displaced due to the erosion of Padma embankments for years. The local women confronted the border guards who were allegedly taking away farming cattle from the households.

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Sources said, the BSF personnel purportedly noticed some discrepancies in the count of cattle-heads and suspected that the cows and buffaloes beyond the count were meant for smuggling. The male-folks were away for farming while the women refused to part with the seized cattle and put up resistance against the BSF troops, leading to a clash, said local residents. The BSF men allegedly resorted to firing to scare away the irate villagers who were chasing the vehicle of the BSF personnel.

During the clash, some cattle sheds and thatched huts caught fire, said eye-witnesses. The women belonging to families of homeless erosion victims at Paraspur today alleged that they were manhandled by the troopers of 141 Battalion BSF.

“I feel ashamed to show off my blouse that was badly torn when the BSF men thrashed us. One of the jawans shoved my mother-in-law down to the ground. She lost consciousness. The BSF men attacked us when the male members of our families were away in the paddy fields. We were alone in our homes. Why should we hand over our cows and buffalos to the BSF people?” said a victim.

Mismatch in cattle count may happen but this cannot become a ground for BSF claiming authority over the farming cattle reared by the local residents, she added requesting anonymity. The border guards not only beat up women but also threatened villagers of encounter killing before they fled, alleged the victims. BSF officials, however, denied the allegation of firing and attack on women.

In past years, there has been an acute hunger situation at Char Paraspur under Jalangi block where several starvation deaths were reported in the year 2005. With the Padma river devouring acres of farmlands and causing livelihood crisis over the years, the homeless erosion victims keep shifting their make-shift huts in the absence of proper rehabilitation plans for the displaced.

Subsequently, the areas along the Indo-Bangla international border became prone to crimes like smuggling of cattle, contraband, illegal firearms and infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals into India.