I ran into this letter published in the Sentinel. If the letter is athentic,
does it explain some of the controversies in identification of Bangladeshis
among the refugees from Nagaland?
Dilip Deka
===================================================
Who is What?
A whole lot of reports have appeared on the exodus of suspected Bangladeshi
labourers from Nagaland. I, as a conscious Naga citizen, would like to say that
Nagaland has been a home for myriad Indian business communities like the
Marwaris, Bengalis, Assamese, Biharis and Nepalis. However, in rural Nagaland,
since our childhood (early 1950s), petty shops and business have been run by
Muslims from Assams Karimganj and Badarpur regions. Many of them have married
Naga girls and are now well settled.
When Dimapur started to develop as a large commercial hub due to the exodus of
Marwaris from Upper Assam, who fled due to ULFAs threat in early 1990s, a
large labour force was required. The contractors started to take cheap
labourers from places like Lahorighat, Mankachar, Bilasipara, Barpeta and
Nagaon, whom they used to address as Mias while some used to call them
suspected Bangladeshis. A few of these labourers got involved in cases of
molestation and theft, inviting the Naga peoples wrath. But such ill-feelings
were short-lived. However, the new generation of youths could not differentiate
between those who were doing petty trade since 1940s and those who were
imported recently by the contractors as labourers.
The same mistake has again been repeated this time also. The Ao Students Union
failed to differentiate between the two, and even those whom we have seen since
our childhood days were not spared.
Joseph J Sema,
Dimapur, Nagaland.
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