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Calcutta wants Marxists to halt saffron designs against Dr Preger

Arup Chanda in Calcutta

Dr Jack Preger is neither a Christian missionary nor has he ever converted anyone to Christianity.

But this 68-year-old British doctor has been given marching orders by the Foreigner's Registration Office in Calcutta and asked to leave the country.

The FRO's explanation: There are 'adverse reports' about Dr Preger who has been serving the poor of Calcutta for the last 20 years.

What is the real reason?

A majority of the beneficiaries of his projects in Calcutta are poor Muslims and the order came from the Union home ministry in Delhi.

"Yes. It is a fact that a majority of the poor people who come to our clinics and the children to our schools are Muslims," says Dr Preger. "But I do not care about religion. I do not believe in organised religion and do not go to churches. I believe in god but do not believe about the son of god".

Being a former Marxist, Dr Preger is appalled at the stand taken by the Marxist government of West Bengal. The FRO in Calcutta is headed by a deputy commissioner of police who reports to the state government and is yet to offer an 'explanation' for not granting him a return visa.

Each year Dr Preger goes to Europe to attend meetings of the support groups for Calcutta Rescue, a charitable organisation which he founded 20 years ago. This year too he purchased an air ticket on February 22 to attend a meeting in the United Kingdom.

"The meetings are usually held in May each year. Usually I apply for a return visa. But this year, before I applied for the return visa, on February 23 I was asked to quit the country within seven days," said Dr Preger.

On February 25, he wrote to the FRO explaining the reasons for his trip and that he was needed back in Calcutta. But the FRO did not relent.

On March 1, he moved the Calcutta high court which not only stayed the FRO order asking him to leave the country but sought an explanation from the authorities concerned by March 16.

But the FRO authorities seem to be adamant. One of the officials said, "It is plain and simple. He is a foreigner and his visa has expired. He has no business to stay here. We have adverse reports about his activities. Earlier, he was thrown out of Bangladesh and this time we will ensure that he leaves India. Will an Indian be allowed to stay for an indefinite period in England?"

What did he do in Bangladesh?

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