By Sarat C Neog
Poor economic conditions of neighbouring Bangladesh had forced starving people to cross into Assam, the land with the oft believed myth of plenty. The presence of a large number of Bangladeshis in Assam has disturbed the equilibrium in every sphere of life. It has threatened the very existence of the Assamese people. In 1979, the All Assam Students Union ( AASU) started a mass movement demanding deportation of the Bangla nationals. The initial response was lukewarm but later gained momentum with active participation of the Assamese people in large numbers. Media persons from different parts of the Globe rushed to Assam. The movement was by and large peaceful but some sporadic incidents occurred resulting in loss of life and damage to property.
On 15th August, 1985, the Assam Movement came to an end with the signing of the Assam Accord at the intervention of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The student leaders rushed back to the State. They were given a rousing reception at the Borjhar Airport by the emotional Assamese even without knowing the contents of the Accord. The leaders hurriedly formed a new political party ‘ Asom Gana Porishad”. On 24th December, 1985, the AGP came to power and PK Mahanta became the Chief Minister of Assam. The joy of the Assamese people knew no bounds. They were very optimistic that the alien problem would be solved forever.
The pertinent question which baffled the Assamese mind was the exact number of Bangladeshis in the State. In the Assembly elections held in 2011, a clear picture emerged where migrants from Bangladesh or erstwhile East Pakistan outnumbered the locals in about 20 constituencies. In another 15 constituencies, none can expect to win the elections without the help of these people. Without exaggeration, we can estimate the presence of about 30 lakh aliens on the soil of Assam. Deportation of these people is humanly and legally impossible. Bangladesh will never accept them. Few years ago, the Bangla Prime Minister appealed to the world communities to accommodate 3 / 4 crore Bangla people outside Bangladesh. The country is facing a new but serious problem of loss of cultivable land owing to rising of sea level.
Some student leaders are in favour of a treaty with Bangladesh for deportation purpose. India cannot force the country to sign any treaty. War with Bangladesh? A nonsense talk. Without understanding the international implication, some leaders voiced their demand for declaration of the aliens as stateless persons. Such a step may prove suicidal for the State. UNO will intervene and a land area may be carved out of Assam for rehabilitation of these stateless persons. The creation of Israel in Arab land in 1948 to provide homeland to the Jews scattered all over the Globe is a glaring example. Peace is now elusive in the Middle-East.
During his tenure as the Prime Minister of India, Atal Behari Vajpayee advocated the idea of grant of work permit to the Bangladeshis which was rejected by the emotional Assamese. It is crystal clear that grant of work permit is the only solution to this vexed problem. The permit may be granted for a fixed tenure with options for renewal. On expiry of the term, the permit holder be served with “ Leave India’’ notice to be issued by the District Police Superintendent. In case of failure, he may be prosecuted under the prevailing laws. Law will follow its own course. Names of the permit holders will be deleted from the electoral rolls. They will not enjoy any rights available to a citizen. The Citizenship Act, 1955 shall have to be re-amended to prohibit acquisition of citizenship by the off-shoots of the permit holders during their stay in Assam. Bangladeshis without political power cannot threaten the existence of Assam and the Assamese. We have a dynamic Prime Minister who, we believe, will look into the matter and solve this burning problem once for all.
(The writer is Retired District Judge and can be reached at [email protected])