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citizenship

what to do,” he said. identity, culture and become politically indigenous Assamese.
Many like Ainal crowded the Seva weak against the fast-growing popula- The updated NRC is likely to detect
Kendra on August 10 when the process tion of the “Bangladeshis.” This triggered the post-1971 migrants, as agreed in the
began to collect forms for submission of the Assam Agitation mainly led by All Assam Accord but their deportation is a
claims for inclusion in the NRC. Assam Students’ Union (AASU) between challenge before the country.
Large number of Muslims like Ainal’s 1979 and 1985, in which 855 indigenous So what would be the fate of those
forefather were welcomed by the Brit- people sacrificed their lives while thou- to be identified as “foreigners” through
ish to Assam in the 19th century to grow sands of suspected Bangladeshi migrants NRC?
food in the vast barren lands in the state. had also died in attacks by the anti-for- “They can’t be treated like Rohingyas
Bengali Hindus migrated during and af- eigner agitators. The agitation ended of Myanmar. They should be specifically
ter the partition, mainly due to “religious with the signing of the Assam Accord in given opportunities to earn the liveli-
persecution” in East Pakistan, which be- 1985 which primarily agreed to detect hood for survival, dignity or existence
came Bangladesh in March 1971. Many and deport illegal migrants from Bang- and opportunities for their children’s
returned after Bangladesh was liberated ladesh and safeguard the identity of the future. In such a circumstance, the gov-
but some stayed back fearing threat in ernment of India will have to treat them
their home. as a special category of foreigners as it
The flow of the migrants to Assam, Of the 79,000 persons was done for the Tibetan refugees. They
however, continued even after 1971 as declared foreigners by have to be given a special identity card
vast stretch of the 263-km border with as resident foreigners by bringing in an
Bangladesh remained unfenced and tribunals since 1985, amendment in the Foreigner’s Act. But
those who settled in Assam got “support” more than 30,000 have there should be the restriction on voting
from some political parties. The continu- and transfer of land for them,” suggested
ous infiltration of illegal migrants from reportedly Deka.
Bangladesh left the indigenous people Many, however, said such a mecha-
increasingly threatened of losing their gone missing while nism was possible for the Tibetans as
another 30,000 were their number was less.
• Last among equals Those who missed the draft Former union home secretary, G K
NRC belonged to all religions ‘pushed back’ Pillai recently said in New Delhi that
those be identified as foreigners could
photos: nandita sengupta be given a work permit, a suggestion
quickly rejected by local organisations
including the influential AASU, which
continued to demand implementa-
tion of the Assam Accord in letter and
spirit: detection and deportation of the
foreigners.
Assam’s experience of dealing with
the foreigners so far has not been easy.
Of the 79,000 persons declared foreign-
ers by tribunals since 1985, more than
30,000 have gone missing while anoth-
er 30,000 were “pushed back,” in which
the foreigners are taken to the border
and sent back across. More than 1,000
others are lodged in detention camps
in six jails across Assam while another
2 lakh cases of suspected foreigners
are pending in 100 foreigner tribunals,
a quasi-judicial body dealing with sus-
pected foreigners.

The humanitarian crisis situation
Assam is staring at the situation due
to lack of an action plan about the fate
of the foreigners to be identified in the
NRC, according to many, could result in