Shillong, Aug 19: The North East Students’ Union (NESO) on Tuesday submitted a petition to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, urging the government to seal the Indo-Bangladesh border and adopt strict measures for the immediate detection and deportation of illegal migrants.
NESO further recommended strengthening border control, particularly in vulnerable areas, through the deployment of additional security personnel and modern surveillance technology.
In the memorandum, NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa also called for coordination with neighbouring states and agencies to prevent migrants from being relocated within the region, according to a Press release.
“Safeguard indigenous rights, culture, language, political identity, and land ownership through legal and policy measures,” Jyrwa said, while also proposing the creation of a Special Review Committee to address population growth in sensitive areas.
Highlighting the long-standing problem, Jyrwa noted that the unchecked influx of migrants began soon after Independence in 1947 and has since grown into one of the most serious threats to the socio-cultural fabric, demographic balance, and political stability of the North East.
He pointed to Tripura as a stark example, where indigenous people, once the overwhelming majority, have been reduced to a minority in their ancestral land. Assam too, he said, suffered greatly, sparking the six-year-long anti-foreigners’ movement that led to the Assam Accord of 1985—a pact whose promises remain only partially fulfilled as illegal migration continues.
Meghalaya has also faced repeated waves of agitation—in 1979, 1987, and the early 1990s—all driven by fears of demographic change and the erosion of indigenous rights. Jyrwa warned that Assam is currently witnessing a drastic demographic shift spilling over into Meghalaya’s Garo Hills plain belt and other parts of the region.
Despite repeated appeals to the Centre, NESO observed that responses have been inadequate, often limited to temporary or reactionary measures instead of long-term solutions.
“The absence of decisive action has left indigenous peoples vulnerable, forcing them to defend their rights, culture, and identity on their own,” Jyrwa said.
He reiterated NESO’s commitment to continue engaging with the Centre for a concrete solution.
“This is not just a political or administrative issue—it is a matter of survival. Our languages, traditions, cultural practices, and very existence as distinct peoples are at stake,” NESO chairman stressed.
Jyrwa further noted that state governments also bear responsibility, especially those not covered under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, making them more vulnerable to infiltration.
He urged stronger mechanisms for prevention, detection, and deportation of illegal migrants, along with better inter-state coordination and local vigilance.
“We call upon the Government of India and the states to treat this issue with the seriousness it deserves. The demographic and cultural shifts already visible are warnings of an existential crisis. If strong measures are not taken now, the very identity of the North East’s indigenous peoples could be irreversibly altered,” Jyrwa warned.
He added that they hope that the government would act decisively to address the matter.
