Illegal Human Garbage: Why Only Asom?
JP Rajkhowa
The Congress-BPPF(H) coalition government in Asom, which came to power in the
State after the last Assembly elections with the mandate of the natives, raised
much hope that this time it would do its best to protect and promote the
interests of the electorate. The hope was further strengthened with the resolve
of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi not to be cowed down by the pressures and threats
of the newly created AUDF, which was raised in a camouflaged manner, ostensibly
to protect the interests of the minorities and other backward classes, but in
fact with the sole objective of consolidating the pro-Bangladeshis forces in
the wake of the abrogation of the infamous IM(DT) Act by the Supreme Court two
years ago. Tarun Gogoi, at least on one issue, stuck to his ground and refused
to yield to the pressures from even the party high command to induct AUDF
president Badruddin Ajmal into his ministry. It is well known that Ajmal, after
showing initial bravado by publicly declaring
that he would not join the Gogoi Ministry, later surreptitiously made some
move for his induction as a minister. Mind it, before the last elections there
was much talk of his even becoming the Chief Minister, thereby advancing the
hidden agenda of making Asom a part of greater Bangladesh. Gogoi did not budge
an inch from his original stand in deciding to form the Government without
Ajmal, aligned with the BPPF(H), and thereby established his statesmanship for
the first time.
The formation of the present coalition ministry with BPPF(H) as the only
partner raised the hope that this time the Asom Government would be taking
certain positive steps to effectively tackle the problem of illegal
Bangladeshis by expediting the process of detection, disenfranchisement and
ultimate deportation under the Foreigners Act 1946 and Foreigners (Tribunals)
Order, 1964. Hagrama Mahilary not only heads the BPPF(H), but represents the
Bodos and other natives of the BTAD areas too. Incidentally, the historical
truth is that the Bodo-Kacharis, forming part of the great Tibeto-Burman race,
represent all the ethnic groups in Asom as well as the diverse Asomiya
communities that have assimilated with them over centuries. Gogoi represents
not only the Ahoms or Tai-Ahoms a great branch of the adventurous and martial
Mongoloid race but he also represents the other natives of Asom, including
the Asomiya Muslims, the tea tribes and other communities who have made Asom
their homeland for centuries. So there was considerable jubilation when the
Gogoi-led Ministry was formed in Asom, though the natives did not have any
reason to celebrate the victory of the Congress which has been betraying
Asoms cause since the pre-Partition days.
Now, after two years of the formation of the coalition ministry, we may reflect
as to whether our hopes have been realized even partially. One would note with
regret that the Gogoi-led coalition has miserably failed so far in convincing
the people that Asom is not going to be a Asomiya-minority State, with the
Bangladeshis attaining majority status and thereby threatening the very
existence of the Asomiyas. The BPPF(H), after becoming a part of the ministry,
has practically stopped talking about even the life-and-death issues of the
State, as if their sharing of power with the Congress has already uplifted the
Bodos and freed the BTAD areas from the clutches of illegal Bangladeshis and
other illegal migrants. If they are thinking that BTAD districts would not be
hit by illegal influx and multiplication of the existing Bangladeshis there,
they are living in a fools paradise, as even Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal
Pradesh armed with the inner line permit regulations are
now facing various challenges from illegal Bangladeshis. So it is high time
the BPPF(H) realized the grim reality and joined hands with other Asomiyas so
as to make a determined bid to stop Asom from becoming part of a greater
Bangladesh as a mini-Bangladesh it has already become, with 12 out of 27
districts having already gone to the Bangladeshis who have made the Asomiyas a
minority there. As per recent media reports, there is tremendous pressure on
Tarun Gogoi by the party high command to associate the AUDF in his ministry by
including three Cabinet Ministers from that party, obviously with Ajmal as the
leader of the team. Who knows, well before the Panchayat elections are
scheduled, it might be a reality should Gogoi change his known stand in view of
his present predicament due to continued deterioration in the security scenario
in the State!
The Sentinel (July 14, 2007), in its editorial entitled Geared to Protect
Aliens, again exposes how the State Government has been pushing the Asomiyas
towards extinction by promoting the interests of the Bangladeshi settlers, in
spite of the non-existence of the IM(DT) Act. The editorial says: After two
years of the Supreme Court striking down a bad law that was allowed to remain
in force for 22 years and do incalculable harm, we now have three significant
developments staring us in the face that declare in no uncertain terms that the
Government of Asom is determined to go on promoting the illegal influx of
Bangladeshis into the State and to destroy the birthright of the people of the
State and ruin their interests beyond the possibility of any redemption. And
this is a democratic government supposed to reflect the will of the majority
and to work for their interests! The editorial then rightly deals with certain
ominous developments. First, the 32 Foreigners Tribunals
heard 3,000 complaints during past five months, disposed off 545 complaints
and identified 54 Bangladeshi nationals; but all them fled, leaving the
government with not a single one of them to deport at the end of the toil and
expense! Intriguingly enough, the popular government has vitiated the entire
legal process by referring the complaints to the Foreigners Tribunals as the
first step, though as per the Supreme Court order the Tribunals should take up
appeal cases only against deportation by any alleged foreigner. The Supreme
Court had certainly not directed the State government to use the tribunals in
the same way as in the implementation of the IM(DT) Act. The Asom governments
action is thus a clear taunt to the Supreme Court and the people of Asom. The
second development relates to he extension of the time-frame for completion of
the border fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border up to March 31, 2008 as
disclosed at the tripartite meeting between the Centre,
AASU and the State Government. There is now clear evidence that the Centre is
as keen as the State Government to protect the illegal migrants from Bangladesh
and to encourage further influx solely for ensuring that the vote banks created
are not only sustained but augmented further, says the editorial. The third
development is due to an exodus of about 10,000 illegal Bangladeshi migrants
from Arunachal Pradesh to Asom after the Nichi Students Union and the All
Arunachal Pradesh Students Union issued quite-notices to all those staying in
the State without inner line permits. They (Bangladeshi migrants) are moving
from a State where the Foreigners Act is in force to a State where no
immigration law is actually in force. And because our leaders have the perverse
urge to fill the land of their birth with garbage imported from abroad,
concludes the editorial.
The last development has the potential of leading to a major law-and-order
problem, as waves of protest and resistance are in sight from a number of
students and youth organizations, and rightly so, in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji
districts bordering Arunachal Pradesh. As per a media report, following a
drive away Bangladeshi operation launched by the Arunachal Pradesh
Government and the district administrations with the direct backing of the two
students organizations in question, thousands of suspected Bangladeshis
hurriedly started leaving Arunachal Pradesh since July 10 and entered not only
neighbouring Lakhimpur district, but also rushed into Dhemaji, Sonitpur and
right up to Guwahati. Emulating Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland has also started a
similar drive, leading to exodus of thousands of suspected Bangladeshis into
Asom. The State Government seems to be least concerned over such influx and has
not taken any action against the Bangladeshi intruders, thereby putting the
Asomiyas into far greater peril.
Why cannot the Congress-led Asom Government muster courage from the Congress
Government of the neighbouring State to drive out these new entrants at least?
Or is it that Tarun Gogoi is too pleased with their arrival, with the cherished
hope of some thousands joining the Congress traditional vote bank? Could he
and his party be sure of the AUDF not doing anything to shatter their hopes?
The State Government, through the district administration of Lakhimpur, has now
reportedly woken up and initiated some measures to control the volatile
situation arising out of the resistance offered by the local people of Asom
against the entry of migrants from Arunachal Pradesh into the district. It has
now been decided that the Lakhimpur district administration would verify the
citizenship of the migrants and then decide further action on them if found to
be illegal. People are suspicious of such a move, for the same district
administration had earlier reportedly entrusted the
responsibility of identification of such migrants to the pro-Bangladeshi
AAMSU. In order to stop Asom being converted into a dumping ground of the
unwanted illegal human garbage, the Asomiyas have to guard against the evil
designs of the harbourers, supporters and sympathizers of illegal Bangladeshis.
(The writer was formerly Chief Secretary, Assam)
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