‘My Mother Is Not Pakistani’: Bengal Family Shaken as 70-Year-Old Faces Deportation

Chandannagar: An eerie silence now hangs over the narrow lanes of the Kuthir Math area of Chandannagar in West Bengal. Locals whisper their disbelief as they look towards the once-celebrated Asha Bakery household, whose name still commands high esteem in the neighbourhood.

At the centre of this turmoil is Fatima Bibi, a frail woman suffering from multiple chronic illnesses, nearing 70 years of age. Last Saturday, police from the Chandannagar commissionerate arrived unannounced at her residence and detained her on allegations that she is an undocumented Pakistani immigrant.

Despite presenting her voter ID and Aadhaar card – documents that have allowed her to vote in several elections – the authorities deemed them insufficient.

Fatima now remains in 14-day judicial custody, while her husband Mozaffar Mallik, once a locally renowned businessman, lies sick in bed, shaken by the ordeal.

“We can’t show our faces in public. We were born and raised and built our lives here. And now, people are being told our mother is Pakistani. It’s a lie – and it’s devastating,” said Nilofar, one of Fatima’s daughters. “I still believe the government has made a mistake.”

Asha Bakery had been highly regarded for decades. Rezzak Molla, Fatima’s father-in-law, established a reputation for quality that turned his family into a household name. Fatima married into the family 45 years ago. Relatives say she rarely left her home after getting married.

Both her daughters are married and stay nearby.

“We’ve heard from our elders that she was born in Nalikul, Hooghly. Her father worked in Rawalpindi for a time and they lived there briefly,” said Nazir Hossain, a 61-year-old shopkeeper from the neighbourhood. “Their home has always been here. In the 1950s, paperwork was limited. Should we jail seniors for old errors?”

Biru Sheikh said his family faces ostracism due to Fatima's detention and cover their faces in public. Photo: Joydeep Sarkar.

As word of Fatima’s detention spread, her neighbours began to question the government’s actions.

“How did they find a 70-year-old woman but not any of the real threats they claim are around?” asked Badal Sheikh, a local furniture store owner. “If she is an illegal immigrant, why has she been on voter lists for years? This feels like a political stunt.”

The incident highlights concerns about citizenship verification processes, especially for older citizens. Fatima’s case hinges on decades-old travel records and incomplete documentation from a time when birth certificates were not standardised.

It also happens to occur at a time when the Union government in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 cancelled the visas of many Pakistani nationals in India and ordered them to leave the country.

The case has also triggered anxiety among locals, particularly those from the minority community and without formal documents.

An elderly neighbour, who requested anonymity, admitted, “I was born here but have no papers. What if I’m next?”

“Weren’t many prominent Indian leaders like L.K. Advani born in Lahore or Karachi? Were they punished too?” asked Afroz Ansari, a daily-wage worker.

Fatima’s relatives said the family is now ostracised. “We cover our faces in public out of shame,” said Biru Sheikh, a relative.

The emotional weight on the family is growing. With their home locked, the two daughters are juggling hospital visits with police procedures and filing legal paperwork.

“We’ve become terrified of the media now,” said Sheikh. “Please write that we’re innocent. This is a mistake.”

Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.

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