HVK Archives: The BJP move on IM(DT) Act
The BJP move on IM(DT) Act - Organiser
Editorial
()
4 August 1996
Title : The BJP move on IM(DT) Act
Author : Editorial
Publication : Organiser
Date : August 4, 1996
Ever since the AGP Government returned to power the
people of Assam have been eagerly waiting to hear what
its leaders have to say now about the issue that concerns
them most after the insurgency problem-issue of foreign
infiltration into Assam. And since the problem still
exists, people are most concerned about a piece of black,
discriminatory legislation, viz., the IM(DT) Act, which
has made any solution to the problem of illegal
immigration next to impossible. Regrettably, all we have
had are puerile comments from ministers like Mr Abdul
Muhib Mazumdar that the IM(DT) Act is. an irrelevant
issue today. since its repeal does not find a place in
the Assam Accord! Strangely enough. it was the BJP
president, Mr L.K. Advani who threw, the gauntlet at the
AGP leadership on Sunday for failing to seek the repeal
of the PA(DT) Act when it was the one party most expected
to do so. He even wanted to know why the AGP had not
made the scrapping of the IM(DT) Act a precondition for
joining the United Front Government. He said his party
would propose the repeal of the IM(DT) Act in the current
session of Parliament, and hoped that it would get the
support of the AGP MPs on the issue. People has.e also
pointed out to former Prime Minister and Leader of the
Opposition in Parliament. Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee that
with the governments of the other north-eastern States
taking a firm stand on foreign infiltrators. the only
predictable result can be that these foreign nationals
will flee these States and settle in Assam from where it
will be wellnigh impossible to evict them because the
IM(DT) Act is perversely designed to protect foreign
nationals! It will be interesting to observe what the AGP
MPs decide to do once the BJP proposes the repeal of the
IM(DT) Act in Parliament The people of Assam will have an
opportunity of seeing them in their true colours.
Fortunately, the BJP's accusations on the IM(DT) Act
issue has led Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta to
indicate that the AGP has decided to seek enactment of a
uniform lair. on foreigners in place of the IM(DT) Act.
He clearly sidestepped any talk about actual repeal of
the Act, though he hinted at it. He has said that he is
in favour of a new piece of legislation to govern the
issue. He seemed rather unwilling to be drawn into any
further discussion or comment on the IM(DT) Act. One
fails to understand why Assam and India should have
another new Act relating to foreigners when the
Foreigners Act of 1946 has served the country quite well.
Experience has shown that India's problem is not a dearth
of laws, but rather an abundance of unenforced and
unenforceable ones. It is reasonable to anticipate that
any new law for foreigners will merely serve to compound
our confusion. The best solution is to revert to the
Foreigners Act of 1946 under which Assam saw the largest
number of deportations of foreigners.
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