In this hard-hitting interview, Bengal Border Security takes center stage as former ADG of BSF, PK Mishra, shares insights into the spiraling crisis in West Bengal. With the Bengal Border Security landscape increasingly threatened by cross-border infiltration and radicalisation, Mishra breaks down the internal vulnerabilities exposed by the recent Waqf-linked violence in districts like Murshidabad and Malda. Are extremist forces exploiting religious unrest to engineer demographic shifts? Has the state’s intelligence grid failed? Are transnational networks at play? This exclusive conversation offers rare clarity on the alarming Bengal Border Security challenges ahead.
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#BengalBorderSecurity #PKMishraInterview #WaqfViolence #BSFInsights #WestBengalCrisis #BSF
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00:00The intelligence was known, the information was known that because of this work art, they will come on the road and there will be protests, there will be violence.
00:11I am ashamed of myself being a security officer that we cannot control one district.
00:16How can you control whole state?
00:18The whole state will be burning now.
00:20They have crushed the houses of Hindu.
00:23They have threatened all the Hindus of Murshidabad.
00:26They are so barbaric.
00:27What Honorable George Soman Sen of Calcutta High Court has stated, West Bengal government and West Bengal police has failed in Murshidabad to contain law and order and that is how parametric force has to be deployed there.
00:44I am very frank in telling Dibya this is the time.
00:47If you cannot look after, if you cannot control your law and order, the situation goes out of hand.
00:53Why not to have a precedent for you?
00:55Whatever amendments have been suggested and what are being done also in the Vakf Amendment Bill, it is not something which is being done in India for the first time.
01:03So all of a sudden to have this kind of such an extreme reaction to it and again targeting certain, you know, people of a certain religion is absolutely uncalled for.
01:13Dibya, why certain religion?
01:15It is Hindus.
01:16In our country, I am very frank in telling it, why should I hide anything?
01:20You are going against Hindus in this country.
01:24Surprising.
01:25And it is a plan.
01:26So recently, Murshidabad has witnessed unsettling communal tensions that escalated into violent riots.
01:38Now, the region known for its delicate demographic balance and proximity to the India-Bangladesh border has historically been sensitive.
01:46The recent outbreak raises serious concerns not just about law and order, but also about deeper socio-political undercurrents, cross-border influences and intelligent preparedness.
01:58So joining us today is a distinguished voice in India's internal security landscape, Mr. P.K. Mishra.
02:06Welcome, sir.
02:07He is a former Additional Director General of BSF, Border Security Force.
02:13With decades of experience in managing sensitive border regions and handling complex internal security challenges, Mr. Mishra brings in a wealth of insight into the dynamic of law enforcement, communal harmony and national security as well.
02:27So, sir, without much ado, we would straight on jump into the subject.
02:31Now, given West Bengal's porous border with Bangladesh, how vulnerable do you think is a state to cross-border radicalization and infiltration amid the ongoing Vakf-related violence?
02:44Yes, I can well tell you what has happened in Murshidabad.
02:48It is not because of one particular community belonging to Murshidabad.
02:55It has got a lot of precaution because involvement of other countries is also there and a lot of militant organizations in India and particularly in West Bengal, they are also involved in sighting the people.
03:09And this is very surprising that in our country, people from one community, they were displaced to go from one district to another district.
03:21It is something surprising.
03:22I can well tell you this Murshidabad, of course, it is having slipper sales of Jamaatul Mujahid of Bangladesh, Hizbut Tehrir of Bangladesh and AQIS.
03:39Here you are having slipper sales of Simi, you are having slipper sales of Jayas Muhammad also, they are available.
03:47See, a lot of slipper sales are available in Murshidabad, it is very well known to me particularly because I have served in West Bengal Police, I was SP in Nadia also and the border is very porous.
03:59You see, the border of Murshidabad, mostly Padma River is there and adjacent you have Nadia district where 20 kilometers border has not been fenced and Honorable Chief Minister of West Bengal has not provided the place to make fencing in Nadia district adjacent to that.
04:19And look at the demographic change in the border districts of South 24 Parganaj, Nadia, Murshidabad, Kuchbihar, Balda, West Dinasport.
04:32Something surprising, 90% people, they have come from Bangladesh.
04:40I wrote in a book.
04:4090% you are saying the amount of inflation has happened in the last couple of years?
04:45Yes, I can tell you Tibera, it is the government statistics that 2 crores of Bangladeshis are in India.
04:55I do not agree with that.
04:57There are more than 4 crores.
04:59I have written a book, Bangladesh Migrants, A Threat to India.
05:04I have written a book, it was published in Vivekanon International Foundation.
05:08I have served in Murshidabad, I have served in Nadia and my force is now being deployed in Murshidabad.
05:15And I spoke to them, the problem in Murshidabad is, the intelligence was known, the information was known that because of this work art,
05:26they will come on the road and there will be protests, there will be violence and the worst part of it.
05:32Okay, so you are saying that this was already, like we ideally had known that this would be happening and probably the police was already expecting this to happen.
05:43Sir, also tell us, you have already mentioned it earlier, but do tell us a little bit more.
05:48Do you believe extremist elements are exploiting religious unrest in Bengal to destabilize internal security,
05:55especially in the districts that we are talking about, like Murshidabad and Malda?
06:00Yes, I am telling you, Dibya, what definitely, I told you the names of these organizations,
06:07starting from AQIS, starting from JMP and you see, opposite of Murshidabad.
06:12We are having Raj Shahi and these areas, Raj Shahi border, it is adjacent to, just opposite of Murshidabad and Padma River.
06:24Of course, you cannot fence Padma River and there is no electromagnetic fencing also which has been done on Padma River.
06:30Now, it is very difficult to watch every inch of the border when it is open and Nadia border is open for 20 kilometers as set and Nadia is adjacent to this place, Murshidabad.
06:44So, what is happening?
06:46I see, we have these forces approaching to, then Mohammed Yunus, it is a mini Pakistan now, it's not Bangladesh.
06:53I have changed the name of Bangladesh to mini Pakistan because of Mohammed Yunus, because now Mohammed Yunus is being directed by ISI and Jamaatis and they have government numbers according to Murshidabad and Murshidabad, Malda and Nadia district border is very tense.
07:13And what has happened when Mohammed Yunus took over?
07:16Thousands and thousands of Hindus, they came to the border to cross over to India.
07:21They were stopped by BSF, they were stopped by BSF and they were requested to go back to their houses but they were denying.
07:29How can we go when our houses, they don't exist, our temples, they don't exist.
07:35This is the state, this is the state of affairs in Murshidabad and Nadia and Malda.
07:41Things are pretty bad.
07:42What you are telling us is that Hindus who were trying to cross over have very clearly been stopped.
07:47But at the same time, the Muslims from that side have been coming here and have been settling in a huge number.
07:54And now also taking into consideration, there are reports which are coming that Hindus who were already living there also have been forced to flee and communal threats are being issued to the people who have been living there.
08:06Now, do you see a pattern of demographic engineering happening in this sensitive border zone?
08:12And what are the long-term security implications of this?
08:16The way I can well tell you, they have followed the same pattern of Dhaka and Rasai and Kushtia and Swerve.
08:24And she loved in those areas when Mohammed Yunus took over and she left Bangladesh and the government changed.
08:31The similar pattern was followed in Murshidabad.
08:34Murshidabad, they have touched the houses of Hindus, they have threatened all the Hindus of Murshidabad and they have killed.
08:43You see, the way they have killed these two Hindus, I will tell you, they cut from the nose portion completely and then the hands were also cut.
08:56You see, they are so barbaric.
08:59And I can well tell you, nothing happened.
09:03We had West Bengal police deployed there.
09:06I feel same.
09:07I feel same.
09:08I am telling the RG security officer how the police did not intervene if they had this information.
09:15That is my next question, sir.
09:17Now, the West Bengal police and even the intelligence network, now you are saying that people knew,
09:23but still it seems that, you know, it has failed to anticipate and contain this flare-up,
09:28especially given the state's history of communal volatility.
09:32What Honorable George Soman Sen of Calcutta High Court has stated,
09:39West Bengal government and West Bengal police has failed in Murshidabad to contain law and order.
09:45And that is how paramilitary force has to be deployed there.
09:48And that is because the government came forward and paramilitary force and the BSF was posted.
09:55They were immediately forced to go there.
09:57And at present, we are having nine companies of BSF deployed there.
10:02Things are so different, I am telling you.
10:05All these militants and criminals, they are not throwing stones to West Bengal police personnel.
10:13They are throwing stones to BSF, the paramilitary force personnel.
10:19Few BSF personnel have been injured.
10:21One of their vehicles was torched.
10:23So what is all happening?
10:25Because they had restraint.
10:26They didn't fire also.
10:27And even if they fired also once, but that didn't cause any injury to any civilian,
10:34because they were very cautious.
10:35And I salute to those boys.
10:38But things have gone bad.
10:41And we should not become, you see, being a security force, being a policeman, we should not be political.
10:47I repeat, we should not be political.
10:51Absolutely.
10:52So, sir, would you like to tell us more?
10:53Like, now this is very specific.
10:55If the police is not being targeted and the BSF is being targeted,
10:59it's being unfair is the, you know, the smallest thing that can be said.
11:04So, how does one manage this if the police is only not coming forward and doing their job?
11:11You see, BSF, as per the road, it can be deployed up to 50 kilometers of the border.
11:19If this is so, if Mursidabad cannot be controlled by a state,
11:25definitely a paramilitary force should be deployed.
11:29And that also BSF, because BSF is deployed in that border, BSF can be deployed within 50 kilometers of the border.
11:37And Mursidabad can be taken over by a paramilitary force.
11:41And I am telling you, law and orders, it is not only in Mursidabad.
11:47It has gone to South 24 Parganaj in Bhavnagar, you see, that is also burning.
11:52This will come to Nadia.
11:54This will come to Malda.
11:55This will go to Kuchbihar.
11:57This will go to West Janaspur.
11:58Everywhere you will found this, because of this workup protest,
12:02these militant groups have by the opposite side,
12:06from Szilard side, from Kustia side, from Rasai side, Novartan side,
12:12they will be penetrating.
12:14I told you, the border is very porous.
12:15The border is quite open.
12:17And you see, you cannot deploy forces every inch of land.
12:21Even US cannot protect Canada border.
12:25US cannot protect Mexico border.
12:27So, you see, it is very difficult for land border.
12:30And we have so many rivers and canals going to Bangladesh.
12:35We don't have electromagnetic fencing there.
12:39So, things are pretty bad.
12:40And Mursidabad?
12:41Is there a reason that specifically the border is being kept open by the state?
12:49That is what I can well tell you, border is, that is, I told you very clearly,
12:55they are not giving the land for construction of the fencing.
12:58Some reason is there, because, you see, they still want Bangladeshi Muslims to enter India.
13:06And with that, guns will come.
13:09With that, I mean, your drugs will come.
13:12With that, improvised explosives will come.
13:14And with that, jihadis will also come.
13:18And jihadis have penetrated.
13:21And they are there, not only in Mursidabad.
13:23They are also there, you see, near Islamabad.
13:28Near, in between Kishan Ganj and Islamabad.
13:31Raskova and all these areas are there.
13:33That is all dominated by these Bangladeshi Muslims.
13:37And they are creating problems.
13:39We have to keep an eye there also.
13:42So, whole of these border areas, it's very tense.
13:45And anything can happen because of this work board.
13:48And we have to deploy paramilitary forces.
13:51And I'm very frank in telling Dibya, this is the time.
13:54If you cannot look after, if you cannot control your law and order,
13:59it goes out of hand.
14:01Why not to have a precedence rule?
14:03That will serve the matter.
14:06But I am not a person to speak to that.
14:08But I can well tell you why Hindus are suffering.
14:12Why Hindus have gone.
14:14Why Hindus are forced to leave.
14:16Why their houses were tossed.
14:17Why they were killed.
14:19Why they are being threatened in their own houses.
14:21They cannot come out.
14:22And they have gone to another district.
14:26There is something surprising.
14:28It is happening in our country.
14:30It is definitely failing to take care of the people living there.
14:35Now, do you also say signs of organized networks,
14:38possibly transnationals, fueling the unrest in Bengal?
14:41And if so, what should be the state's strategic response
14:45in a border state scenario?
14:47I can well tell you definitely it is all planned.
14:51It is planned definitely not by this work-up board or anything.
14:56It is planned by these groups.
14:58I told you, I told you, Simi is involved.
15:01PFI, main is, Pay for Popular Front of India.
15:04PFI is the mastermind.
15:06They are controlling this.
15:08PFI and Simi and Hizbuth Tehrif.
15:12They are the persons with help of Bangladesh.
15:15They are being guided by Bangladesh.
15:17And they are now, Kandha Singh, they are quite vocal.
15:22And they are causing violence.
15:25Just see the violence which has happened in Musayabaj.
15:27It is a very shocking affair.
15:30So, nobody can see what has happened.
15:32And I can well tell you, this is the time to definitely deploy parametric forces
15:40along with West Bengal police.
15:42I request and I suggest that West Bengal police must come up to the expectation
15:48and they should take a stance at this juncture that they are real police personnel.
15:54They should not think about politics.
15:58Politics doesn't mean that it should go against the national interest.
16:02It is against national security.
16:05Here the policemen must come forward.
16:07But I request all these West Bengal police officers.
16:11I was on the petition to West Bengal police also earlier in Nadia district.
16:16And things were during natural time.
16:19I request my officers to come forward to the expectation.
16:22And like Punjab police, they controlled Punjab militancy.
16:26I want West Bengal police to control it and let them take the help of paramilitary forces.
16:32They are their brothers.
16:33They are not the enemy of them.
16:35So, this is the way we have to go and we have to find out who are the leaders,
16:40who are the mastermind, who are the leaders.
16:42Absolutely.
16:43And whatever amendments have been suggested and what are being done also in the work amendment bill,
16:48it is not something which is being done in India for the first time.
16:51It has been done in other countries like Qatar.
16:54So, all of a sudden to have this kind of such an extreme reaction to it
16:58and again targeting certain, you know, people of a certain religion is absolutely uncalled for.
17:03Yes, and why certain religion?
17:07It is Hindus in our country.
17:09I am very frank in telling it.
17:11Why should I hide anything?
17:13You are going against Hindus in this country.
17:16Surprising.
17:17And it is not planned.
17:19It is all planned.
17:20In Qatar, this type of thing never happened.
17:22It never happened in Qatar.
17:26They could control it.
17:27Here we cannot control something surprising.
17:30I am ashamed of myself being a security officer that we cannot control one district.
17:35How can we control whole state?
17:37The whole state will be burning now.
17:40It is not only Murshidabad.
17:41I am telling you, it will have its effect in Malda, Nadia, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas.
17:48Most of the border places it will happen and Hindus will shift.
17:53They will have to sell their houses and they will go.
17:57Definitely, this is what is going to happen.
18:00And it has started from Murshidabad and things are pretty bad.
18:03And we have to deploy parametric forces, not for a month or so.
18:07It should remain till things is marginalized and it comes down.
18:13And Assamter definitely needs to get more active and take decisions here because the state definitely does not seem to be doing its job.
18:22No doubt.
18:22And main thing I can well tell you, we have to find out who are the mastermind.
18:28Where are the sleeper cells from which groups and who were the leaders who really initiated this and they caused the violence and they caused people to come to the road.
18:42Leaders are there, the names will be definitely out.
18:45They have to be apprehended and they have to go for 10 to 15 years in jail.
18:50It's not that they have to.
18:51And it is like, you see, I am very frank in telling, Jogi model is required in Murshidabad.
19:01I repeat, Jogi model is required in Murshidabad and nothing else.
19:06That is the way one has to handle.
19:08It is required in Murshidabad, it is required in Nadia and it is required in Malta.
19:12Whoever are involved, they have to be taken into task and they are the leaders of PFI, CME and JMB.
19:24I think we have to sit and wait and see if Mamta Deere does end up doing that and that's a big question and the entire country is definitely, you know, all our eyes are completely there and waiting to see what is going to happen next.
19:37But thank you so much, Mr. Mishra, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your invaluable perspectives.
19:43Now, in times like these, understanding the root causes and the strategic approach to conflict resolution becomes more critical than ever.
19:50And your experience offers not just clarity, but also direction as we reflect on how to prevent such incidents and safeguard peace across the vulnerable regions like Murshidabad.
20:00Thank you so much for joining us today.
20:02Thank you. All the best.