New Delhi: The so-called ‘Bhatia’ Muslims of Bihar are coming under pressure from fanatic Hindu groups. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has spearheaded a movement against the Bhatias’, labelling them ‘Bangladeshi Muslims’. These Muslims, who live in lowlands next to rivers, are found in 11 districts of Bihar, and originally belonged to the districts of Malda, Purulia, Murshidabad and Nadia in West Bengal.
Since WB is poor and its Muslims are being pressurized to leave Muslim – dominated areas, ‘Bhatia’ Muslims have moved eastwards over many decades. They call themselves ‘Shershahabadi Muslims’, and number around 1.4 million in Bihar. The BJP and its supporters call them ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ and would like to push them out of the state, preferably into Bangladesh.
(Cresent International June 16).
