People arrive in Kolkata from Bangladesh by special buses amid violence in Bangladesh in Kolkata on August 6. (IANS Photo)
Urges PM and HM’s not to grant asylum or rehabilitate Bangladeshi immigrants in NE
Dimapur, August 7 (MExN): In view of the ongoing ‘tumultuous events’ in neighbouring Bangladesh, the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) on August 7 has urged the Government of India (GoI) to ensure that the international border between the two countries is “thoroughly and strictly manned” to detect attempt of “illegal migration” from across the border.
NESO, the conglomeration of eight students’ bodies representing the seven states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura, also asked the GoI not to “grant asylum to even a single Bangladeshi or rehabilitate immigrants” from strife-torn country in any of the North-East states.
Writing to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue, the Organisation expressed concern over the ‘anticipated repercussions’ of the present crisis in Bangladesh across NE states, given the past experiences and geographical proximity.
“Such a situation can have serious ramifications in India especially in the North East Region whereby four states share a common international boundary with Bangladesh,” stated the letters appended by NESO Chairman Samuel Jyrwa and Secretary General Mutsikhoyo Yhobu.
Tripura share a boundary of 856 kilometres with Bangladesh, while it is 443 km for and 443 km respectively for Meghalaya and Mizoram. Assam has 262 km common boundary with Bangladesh.
Accordingly, the NESO noted that ongoing crisis in Bangladesh “will and may” lead to an exodus of its nationals into the country, especially in the NE.
Past events indicates that whenever there is a civil war or a riot in Bangladesh, the NE always had to bear the brunt of mass illegal immigration from the country, it pointed out, citing ‘lakhs of illegal migrants’ from East Pakistan during the partition of 1947, into Assam and Tripura as well as mass migration during Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, creating a demographic imbalance especially in the states of Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya.
“This unabated flow of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh (East Pakistan) brings forth an air of tension and stiff competition in the North East,” it asserted.
The NESO also reminded the PM and HM that the NE region is home to a plethora of indigenous communities, who “microscopic in numbers and lives amongst their own communities in traditionally marked territories.”
The arrival of millions of illegal foreigners from other countries led to a contestation of space, forced cultural assimilation, economic competition and distrust between the indigenous populace and the foreigners, it contended.
Settlement of illegal foreigners settled in the lands of the indigenous communities without the consent of the community leaders creates a sense of animosity between the two groups, and has resulted in “drastic alteration of the demographic structure” in most NE states, it added.
Owing the small populations of indigenous communities, illegal foreigners overwhelm them overnight resulting in rampant land grabbing as well as outright disregard to traditional way of life of the natives, it further maintained.
To support its assertion of demographic imbalance, the NESO stated that the onslaught of mass migration since 1947 has led to the “native tribal population being reduced to a mere 30% in their own homeland” in Tripura.
Assam has and is still experiencing mass influx of illegal migrants which led to a six year long Assam Movement, causing martyrdom to 860 lives and eventually resulting in signing of the historic Assam Accord, which assured to deport ‘illegal Bangladeshis,’ it said.
Similarly, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh witnessed mass movements in the past and till date demanding the immediate deportation of all foreigners after migrants overwhelmed the indigenous communities in many pockets of their respective states, the organisation maintained.
“Such unabated flow of immigrants into the region thus led to insecurity, agitations, riots and clashes between these foreigners and the indigenous people,” it added.
Accordingly, the NESO sought the immediate intervention PM and HM to ensure that no illegal immigrants enters the NE states from Bangladesh and no one from the country is either granted asylum or rehabilitated in the entire NE region.
NESO comprised of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Garo Students’ Union (GSU), All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) and Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF).
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