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From Tehelka Archives
November 9, 2000

‘Assam will have a Bangladeshi

chief minister in a few years’

Former president of the All Assam G K Pillai would later visit the border In the meeting, the Home Ministry
Students Union samujjal Bhattacharya, in districts of Karimganj and Dhubri in has directed state government officials
an interview to arnab pratim dutta, says January. It has also been decided in the to preserve and update the National Reg-
that if the problem of illegal migration meeting that a meeting would be held ister of Citizens of 1951, which is the only
from neighbouring Bangladesh is not between the AASU and the state govern- existing record of citizens of Assam.For
checked, then Assam may soon have a ment every month to review the imple- this purpose the Centre has sanctioned
Bangladeshi chief minister. mentation of the Assam Accord. a sum of Rs 10 lakh to the state govern-
ment. However, our main priority will be
edited excerptS from An interview • Was there any decision taken on the repealing of the IMDT Act.
the issue of determination and
How grave is the issue of illegal
The All Assam Students Union migrants in Assam?
(AASU) has just held a tripartite If the present influx of foreign
talk with the Home Ministry nationals into Assam continues at
and the Assam government this rate, I can assure you that in a
on Tuesday to review the few years time we will have a Bang-
implementation of the Assam ladeshi chief minister in Assam.
Accord of 1985. What is the Already the Assamese people in the
outcome of the meeting? state have become a minority. Soon
In the meeting it was decided that they will become an endangered
the Indo-Bangladesh border in the lot. All the 49 tribal belts and blocks
Assam sector would be jointly pa- in Assam have been occupied by
trolled by the Border Security Force illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Both
(BSF) and the personnel of the the state and the Centre have failed
Assam Police. Previously, only the to stop this immigration. We have
BSF used to patrol this border. The been constantly demanding that
Home Ministry has also acceded to the names of all illegal Bangladeshi
our demand for a second line of de- immigrants after 1971 must be
fence in the Indo-Bangladesh bor- removed from the electoral roles,
der. The Assam Government has while all immigrants after 1986 must
been given a deadline of December be immediately deported.
31 to complete personnel recruitment deportation of illegal migrants from
for the Prevention of Infiltration Force Assam? Was the Illegal Migrants Although there has been regular
(PIF). Two additional battalions of the Determination by Tribunal Act (IMDT) patrolling by the BSF, why have
Indian Reserve Battalion will further discussed in the talks? they not been able to check illegal
strengthen the PIF, while some 1,400 Scrapping the IMDT Act will always migrants crossing over into Assam?
fresh personnel will be recruited be difficult.Everything depends on The numbers of BSF personnel patrol-
A proposal of fencing the Indo-Bang- the whims and fancies of different ling the border is not adequate. The
ladesh border has also been taken up by political parties. The Congress has been Centre has assigned six BSF battalions
the Home Ministry. A deadline for the opposing this for long time now. Since to patrol the worst affected Dhubri and
initiation of work in this regard has been illegal Bangladeshi migrants in Assam Karimganj districts while the BSF has
set to December 31 this year. Before that form the biggest chunk of their votes in managed to provide only five battalions.
a joint team led by the Director General Assam, the Congress would never sup- This is not enough to man the 262-km
of BSF, Ram Mohan, and comprising of port such a move. However, the present border. Further, This has left a number of
Assam government officials and the BJP-led NDA (National Democratic Alli- gaps, through which illegal migration is
AASU would visit the border areas on ance) government seems to be seriously continuing unabated.
November 14 and 15 to asses the situa- looking into the matter and some solu-
tion. The Union Home Joint Secretary tion may evolve in future. letters@tehelka.com

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