“Homeless In The Own Home”

“Suppose one day you get up in the morning and you find that uninvited guests or neighbors have entered in your house and started dominating in making decisions at your home and also they are making you feel as an alien in your own home. Just think how would you feel? Aren’t it irritating and a feeling as homeless in your own home and definitely you will raise voice against that, which might turn into bloody violence also, but fighting for your own right is always correct.”

Threat to Internal Security has many faces and among that many, one is illegal immigration from Bangladesh in Assam, creating demographic imbalance, resulting in riots time to time. Due to demographic imbalance, situation of unrest between immigrants and local Assamese could always be seen in Assam. “Nellie Massacre” in Nagaon district on February 1983 is an example of hatred between illegal immigrants and local Assamese in which more than 2000 illegal immigrants were killed. We could see the repercussion of the hatred in Assam violence in 2012 in the Kokrajhar district in which riot took place between indigenous Bodos and Bengali speaking Muslims killing of 77 people and over 400,000 people were taking shelter in 270 relief camps, after being displaced from almost 400 villages. North East region is of great geo-political importance to India. There are several reasons of disturbance in seven sister states but the problem of militancy in Assam has its origin in large scale migration of refugees from East Bengal-which is now Bangladesh-since India’s partition in 1947. Partition of India on religious ground brought about sea change in the situation. Initially Assam was to be merged with East Bengal; however this attempt was foiled by the leader of Assam congress shri Gopinath Bordoloi. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in his book “Myth of Independence” and pro-Indian leader Sheikh Mujubir Rahman in his book titled “Eastern Pakistan: Its Population and Economics” expressed views of including Assam in East Pakistan.

 This threat of illegal immigration is a footstep of past history, which could be seen in present time also and if not looked after seriously it will have a future too. Why I said that it is a footstep of past history because the migration of laborers from East Bengal and other provinces have its root in the setting up of “Tea Garden” in Assam by the Britishers. The foremost reason behind the migration of labor was mainly due to economic reason as local Assamese were not willing to work as laborer. Britishers also imported peasants from East Bengal, mostly Muslims, to meet the growing demand for food in the wake of large movement of population. It does not   raise eyebrow in colonial India but became an issue of major concern post independence. In fact ULFA was established on April 17, 1979 under the leadership of Paresh Barua riding on anti foreigner campaign, since this was the popular issue gripping the masses in Assam.

Initially Hindu population started migrating from East Pakistan due to fear of religious persecution. Data reveals that Hindu comprises of 27% in 1947 in East Pakistan, whereas it is reduced to dismal 9% in present Bangladesh. Illegal migration of Muslim also continued unabated due to following push and pull factors:

Push Factors:

• ·        Little food for too many people on little land. (1237 person per square km.)
• ·        Eighth largest population of the world.
• ·        Increase in poverty and unemployment.

Pull Factors:

• ·        Ethnic, religious and linguistic proximity
• ·        Porous border
• ·        Better economic opportunity
• ·        Interested political, religious and political elements encouraging migration.

The “All Assam Students Union” and “The Assam Gan Sangram Parishad” launched mass movement in 1979 for the detection of illegal migrant, their deletion from the voters list and their deportation to Bangladesh who had entered India since 1951. Subsequently Assam Accord was signed on August 15, 1985. According to the Accord all foreigners who entered Assam on or after March 25, 1971 were to be detected and deported. However it failed to resolve the issue. Supreme Court pointed out that “Though inquires were declared in 3,10759 cases, only 10015 were declared illegal migrants and only 1481 illegal migrants were physically expelled up to April 30, 2000.”

This problem of illegal immigration hampered the growth of Assam though it had vast natural resources. The rest of the country view Assam as disturbed area and hence there were no investment or employment opportunities, and giving rise to the militancy. It has changed the demographic character of the region and the local people of Assam have been reduced to a status of minority in certain district. India has always kept soft relationship with Bangladesh since the time of its formation and it is also true that India was one of the biggest helping hands in all the way in separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan. Now when India is facing problems like violent encounters at border area, fake currency rackets and drug trafficking then also Bangladesh Government is not showing interest on these issues. As I said that local people of Assam are in minority now days, then this silent and invidious demographic invasion and the rapid growth of International Islamic Fundamentalism may provide the driving force for the demand of merging the Muslim majority region with Bangladesh. Political parties are also silent on this issue just for cheap vote bank politics. But I think that political parties need not underplay the grave importance of this problem and issue of great concern for National Security must not be diluted for vote bank. If the issue is not dealt effectively then it will lead to disastrous economic and strategic result. Need of the hour is to evolve a national consensus on this important threat which nation is facing.

 Helping your neighbor is always a diplomatic practice and there is nothing wrong in it, but it all should be well planned from the initiative of both the governments to avoid this kind of demographic imbalance in the country and to avoid unrest in the country too. Immigration of Bangladeshis could be justified on the human ground only. But we have to understand the fact that incapability of Bangladesh is increasing the problem manifold. it is true that killing of immigrants cannot be justified because I think that this is killing of humanity. But India will have to make this point clear to Bangladesh that it is creating threat to internal security.