Higher education a concern for many
Chumki Khatun, younger of the two daughters of AB Hossain of Bangladeshi enclave Poaturkuti, is a BA second year student at Vivekananda Bidya Mandir at Chowdhurir Hat in the Indian enclave Chander Kuti.
Hossain has an Indian friend, Abu Bakar, in Khatamari area, who had arranged for Chumki's studies in the Indian college using his own address. On paper, Chumki has been raised as the daughter of Abu Bakar.
She also holds an Indian birth certificate and an Indian ration card.
Anisur Rahman is a resident of Madhya Mashaldanga Daftaipara. He is a student of class XI at Nazirhat Harakumari High School. His father's name is Syed Ali Mondal. But he has been studying in Indian education institutions using false identities.
Joynal Abedin is a BA third-year student at Dewanhat College in India. All his certificates from secondary, higher secondary and BA degree have incorrect information about him.
Guardians of about 200 students, like them, from Bangladeshi and Indian enclaves are worried about the future of their wards.
Assurance of getting citizenship and compensation has failed to rid them of their worries. The parents of these children say all their efforts will go in vein if they fail to get proper certificates.
Diptiman Sengupta, leader of Bangladesh-India Enclave Exchange Committee, said there are more than 100 students in Bangladeshi enclaves inside India who have studied from secondary to degree level in India.
Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner Habibur Rahman said many students of the Indian enclaves have also been studying in Bangladeshi educational institutions.
According to Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee statistics, of the enclave dwellers who are opting to India from Bangladesh, about 100 students hold certificates from Bangladeshi education boards.
Question has arisen whether these certificates will be valid across the border.
Though there is little difference between the education system in Bangladesh and India, education in India has been considered better than that of Bangladesh. As a result, many are worried whether about the 100 students who hold certificates from Bangladesh will get government or other jobs in India.
Question also arises about the future of those residents of Bangladeshi enclaves who studied in Indian education institutions using fake names and addresses. It remains to be seen how the administration solves this problem. This has become a matter of worry for many guardians like Abu Bakar Hossain of Poaturkuti.
The Lalmonirhat DC said they would make special request to India to give equal status to Bangladeshi certificates. Otherwise the students holding Bangladeshi certificates would be in serious trouble.
Cooch Behar District Magistrate P Ulaganathan was asked how this problem could be solved. He told this correspondent, “Presently we are giving highest emphasis on citizenship and rehabilitation of 979 Indian enclave dwellers who have opted to come to India. We will think about the educational certificates later.”
He, however, assured that everything would be given proper emphasis in future.
Enclaves of India and Bangladesh would be attached to their respective mainland on July 31 midnight.
Residents of the enclaves who got their names registered in the census from July 6 to 16 will also get citizenship of the country they opted for from July 31.
The 979 Indian citizens living in enclaves inside Bangladesh who have opted to go to India can go to that country from August 1 to November 30 this year.
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