HVK Archives: Assam intellectuals out to scrap the migrants act
Assam intellectuals out to scrap the migrants act - The Times of India
Gurmukh Singh
()
7 January 1997
Title : Assam intellectuals are all out to scrap the Migrants Act
Author : Gurmukh Singh
Publication : The Times of India
Date : January 7, 1997
Even as political leaders raise the temperature on the Illegal Migrants
(Determination by Tribunal) Act with a view to making political capital
out of it, Assamese Intellectuals have lent support to student leaders'
demand for its outright repeal
The IMDT Act, 1983, has come in for criticism for failing to curb the
influx from Bangladesh by putting the onus of proving that the accused
is a foreigner on the accuser.
"The Act is a big hoax played on Assam by the Centre. They told us it
was a sop, but It turned out to be otherwise. in some districts
tribunals have detected just one or two foreigners! It should be done
away with Immediately. Instead, a National Register of Citizens on the
basis of the 1967 and 1971 voters' lists should be introduced. Those
whose names are not this register must be deported Immediately," says
Prof Hiren Gohain of Gauhati University.
"Politicians are giving this problem a communal turn. How can any. one
be a member of the minority or majority community when he is not a
citizen of this country? This is how our leaders are legitimising
influx," laments D.N. Bezbaruah, editor of The Sentinel.
Pointing out the flaws in the IMDT Act, he adds: "Nowhere is it the
responsibility of a complainant to prove that so and so is a foreigner.
But this Act puts the onus on the complainant. And he has pay the price
for patriotism by spending money on applications and appearing before
the authorities to prove the charge. In European countries, it is the
accused who proves whether or not he is an outsider."
Dr Udayan Mishra of Digrugarh University says: "The IMDT Act is useless.
Let it go. Four or five of our districts have been swamped by
outsiders. Land wars have already begun as seen between the Bodos and
the Santhals, There is no political will to change the course of things.
I am afraid we are heading for a Bosnia like situation."
Prof Abu Nasser concurs. "As an Indian and a Muslim I feel that the
continuing Influx has put a question mark over the future of the
minorities An the state. Assamese Muslims should back all such measures
as are adopted to curb Infiltration. Otherwise, the demographic ratio
will change and there may trouble in store for us."
The issue of influx has been given a communal twist by vested interests,
feels Dr. Abdul Mannan of the Department of Statistics in Guwahati.
Citing census figures, he says: "It is being said that the Muslim growth
rate of 77.42 per cent in Assam between 1971 and 1991 is due to influx.
But the SC growth rate during that period was 81 per cent. Was it due
to influx? it was due to poverty and illiteracy which also holds true
for Muslims. In MP and Maharashtra where there is no influx, the Muslim
growth rate during 1971-91 was 80 per cent. Scrapping the IMDT Act
means changing the cut-off date (of 1971) for detecting foreigners.
Which means Muslims will be harassed as happened at the time of
enrolment in the voters' list in 1985,"
Noted economist Jayant Madhav: "Law Is no solution. The US could not
stop influx from Mexico. We should adopt just two things: issue ID
cards to all people of Assamese origin and Introduce work permits for
Bangladeshis. Assam has a labour shortage. Bangladeshis can come here,
work and go when the permit expires."
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