Infiltration, drug trafficking headache for police
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: October 22, 2022 -

WHILE detention of a Bangladeshi man for the second time on the same charge of illegal entry and settlement in the state underscores certain elements taking advantage of loopholes or lenient provisions of law of the land, the arrest of a mother-son duo along with huge quantity of brown sugar indicates that the law enforcement agencies shall have to remain ever vigilant to neutralise threats to the demography and nefarious agenda to abet the menace of substance abuse.

As the latest arrest of the Bangladeshi immigrant identified as Mohammad Ramjan Ali (35) has come a few days after revelation by chief minister N Biren that another Bangladeshi national named Anwar Hussain was found settling at Khabeisoi locality, in possession of Manipur driving license and aadhaar card and married to a local woman, there is no doubt that illegal infiltration is posing serious challenge to the police.

Though civil societies and para-military forces are also involved in detection and detention of both foreign nationals, it is the police who have to initiate process for either imprisonment of the captives or deport them to their country of origin.

However, in case Mohammad Ramjan Ali, it is quite disturbing to learn that the same person was booked and subsequently sent to jail under the Foreigner Act only to be released on bail.

Accepted that it is prerogative of the court of law to either grant bail or prolong detention after establishing guilt of any person, but is questionable how the Ramjan Ali sneaked back into the state and dealt in scraps as he was supposed to be deported to Bangladesh.

Moreover, posers raised by Manipur Muslim Welfare Organisation (MMWO), whose volunteers actually rounded up Ramjan and handed him over to the police, on how someone arrested under the Foreigner Act could secure bail within short notice merit introspection by authorities and institutions concerned for certain elements seem to be relishing lacunae in the judiciary system, consequently diluting efforts of both the police to enforce law of the land and reducing to insignificance activities of civil societies to prevent sense of enmity in a multi-ethnic society like Manipur.

As stated by MMWO, authorities concerned are liable to explain what action has been initiated against those who had trafficked and sheltered the foreigners, and why there should any leniency against violators of law.

The individual, who probably footed the legal counsel’s fee and surety to secure bail for accused Ramjan, would definitely be a selfish and rogue person, but the point that merits consideration by authorities and institutions concerned is that the police and civil societies cannot be expected to remain resilient in preventing infiltrations when they don’t have the support of the government machinery and more importantly from the judiciary system.

It needs no reminding that in case arrested foreign nationals or drug peddlers could enjoy freedom after brief detention, then it is obvious that the number of individuals, who believe that laws of the land could be interpreted in one’s favour as per the suaveness of the legal practitioners, will only increase, and consequently make the law enforcement agencies a laughing stock not to mention about suspecting their efficiency and integrity.