Police bars activists from Delhi to visit detention camp in Assam & sends them back

March 1: A group of 17 activists from Delhi, travelling by a bus to visit a detention camp in Goalpara district was detained by Assam Police at Srirampur check gate on last Friday and were then sent back. They wanted to visit the detention camp for illegal immigrants being built at Matia in Goalpara.

They under the banner of ‘Samvidhan Bachao, Nagarikta Bachao, Bharat Banao Yatra’ and were members of Socialist Party India, National Alliance of People’s Movement Khudai Khidmatgaar and Justice Forum Assam. Sandeep Pandey, the recipient of Magsaysay award was also a part of this team.

Sources revealed that Kokrajhar district authorities had prior information about the team’s visit and as such elaborate security arrangement was made at the Assam-Bengal border. Their bus was intercepted at Srirampur check gate by the police and were barred from entering the state.

The construction work is ongoing in full swing at India’s first detention centre in Goalpara district’s West Matia area in Assam. 15 four-storey buildings are being built-13 for men, 2 for women. It can can house 3,000 people in it at once. This will be India’s first exclusive detention centre. The detention centre is being constructed in an area of 2,88,000 square feet and will be having separate residential facilities for the security personnel and officials.