Author: Sashanka Das
Publication: http://www.assamtribune.com/
Date:
The problem of illegal migration
in North - east particularly Assam now assumed a serious proportions. The
helplessness of Assam government regarding the problem of gigantic infiltration
casts its shadow over Central Government also, for its survival depends
on allies and that some allies are wedded to infiltrators, votes. It is
now estimated that there are over 12 million illegal migrants from Bangladesh
alone in various parts of India. In other words, out of every 400 people
living in India, 5 are illegal migrants from Bangladesh. In the state of
Assam, this proportion is as high as 18 per cent.
Officially, an illegal migrant is
a person who has entered India after 1971. Those who have entered before
that are now considered to be Indian residents. The bulk of these, over
9.4 million are concentrated in Assam and other North-Eastern states where
over the last decade it has been widely accepted that there has been a
phenomenal growth in the numbers of illegal migrants from Bangladesh. One
can recall the revised electoral rolls in Mangaldoi Parliamentary constituency
in Assam in 1979 and the shocking revelations of detection of names of
thousands of Bangladeshi nationals created such consternation in the state
that it has not subsided even after a lapse of 24 years. One can also recall
that as an immediate consequence of this detection, the entire population
of Assam revolted. Assam agitation continued for six long years. Students
of Assam under the banner of All Assam Students Union took up the cause
and launched the agitation. But systematic infiltration was arranged by
the political leaders to make their constituency a safe seat of illegal
migrants majority.
When Assam was stunned in 1979,
the Central Government was not sympathetic to Assamese problem. There has
been a tendency to underplay this gigantic problem resulting in under-assessing
the actual number of infiltrators. The Central Government concedes the
presence of only 1.2 crore Bangladeshi infiltrators, whereas actual number
may be just double.
Even today, thousands of Bangladeshi's
are systematically infiltrating by bribing the paramilitary forces. The
organized network of mafias and touts in the bordering districts of Bangladesh
are exploiting poor Bangladeshi Muslims by selling the dreams of prosperity
in India. They are motivated by the design of demographic aggression on
India. Along with the infiltrators agents of Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence
(ISI) are also pouring in large numbers. The result is that Assam, Tripura
and other North-Eastern states are deluged with Bangladeshi Muslims migrants.
Ten districts of Assam-Dhubri, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Nalbari, Kokrajhar,
Lakhimpur, Darrang, Nagaon, Goalpara and Kamrup have become extentions
of Bangladesh.
The subject of migration from what
is present day Bangladesh is an old one. In 1921 CS Mullen, the Census
Commissioner for Assam wrote: "Whither there is wasteland thither flock
the Mymensinghias. Infact the way in which they have seized upon the vacant
lands in the Assam Valley seems almost uncanny. Without fuss, without tumult,
without undue trouble to the District Revenue staffs, a population which
must amount to over half a million has transplanted itself from Bengal
to the Assam Valley during the past 25 years. It looks like a marvel of
administrative organization on the part of the Government, but it is nothing
of the sort; the only thing I can compare it to is the mass movement of
a huge body of ants."
The mass movement continues till
today. Though Bangladesh denies that there is any migration, many perceptive
scholars of Bangladesh are more candid. For instance Shaukat Hassan, few
years back has described the movement into Assam and Bengal as "an uncontrolled
migration" and agrees that "historically, the relatively unpopulated state
of Assam has attracted Bengali Muslim migrants in search of land."
A paper published in 1979 by the
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, has analyzed data from Bangladeshi
records and has arrived at a figure of 3.15 million to 3.5 million people
living for India between 1951 to 1961. Between 1961 to 1974, 1.5 million
migrated to India; this is clearly on the lower side, as it does not take
into account the 10 million who fled to India in the wake of the Pakistani
repression in 1971. It is widely accepted that no less than two million
stayed back in India after the liberation.
The question that might be logically
asked is why the bulk of the surreptitious migration is from Bangladesh?
Of late, many Bangladeshi intellectuals have taken to justifying it on
grounds that they need more living space. Their arguments is that Bangladesh
is over crowded with a population density of 749 per sq. km. and unable
to sustain its large population and, therefore, it has little choice but
to expand into neigbouring areas like Assam which has a density of 284
per sq. km. The influx now may be approaching half a million a year
mark. The report also warns that the influx into Assam and West Bengal
has reached extremely high levels and has begun altering the demographic
pattern in the border districts. It is estimated that even after legitimizing
the pre- 1971 migration, about 18% of the population in Assam are illegal
migrants. It is also estimated that in 40 out of the total 126 Assembly
constituencies in Assam, the outcome of the elections is influenced by
the choice of these illegal migrants. It is therefore with reason that
the Government of Assam and Bengal have nurtured the illegal migrants into
a potent vote bank. It is not without reason that both Government in Assam
and Bengal have consistently opposed any policies aimed at reducing this
influx or denying illegal migrants all the rights of full citizenship.
Bangladesh is among the poorest
countries in the world, sinking deeper and deeper into poverty. Educationally
it is one of the most backward. India cannot afford to turn a blind eye
to ISI's depredations. India's security is at stake. There is a limit to
what India can do to police illegal migration considering that the Indo-Bangladesh
border is around 2200 km long and just the riverine border is about 600
km. Bangladesh, in the circumstances will remain a source of perpetual
trouble to India.
