Threat from Bangladeshis

Threat from BangladeshisThe Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram in a candid interview admitted that illegal immigrants were causing demographic changes in Assam and West Bengal. To him a Bangladeshi is a Bangladeshi irrespective of whether he was a Muslim or non Muslim and he had no business to stay here without a residential permit. He also expressed his annoyance at the large number of visas issued to them every year and voiced concern over the very ineffective monitoring system to check whether a Bangladeshi coming to India returned to his country after expiry of his visa or stayed on. He also made it clear that some parts of history cannot be retraced. So, one has to learn to accept it but to make sure that it does not continue for the next five or ten years. Chidambaram’s statement makes it clear that the Government of India is concerned with illegal migration of Bangladeshis to Assam and its helplessness to deport the large number of illegal migrants who had already settled in the State over the years. But the government was determined to stop further migration by sealing the Assam-Bangladesh border.

It is also heartening to note that the legislators irrespective of party affiliations discussed this grave matter in the recently concluded Assam Assembly and voiced their concern over illegal migration from Bangladesh. The opposition proposal to adopt a House resolution demanding immediate sealing of the border and sending an all party delegation to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister to put pressure on them to expedite sealing of the border was gracefully accepted by the Government. Dr Bhumidhar Burman. Minister-in –charge of Assam Accord Implementation stated that the sealing of the border could not be completed because of border disputes and adverse possession of land by Bangladesh. He also admitted that the two Central government organisations, NBCC and NPCC did not give much importance to attend review meetings and send junior officials to such meetings. It is most unfortunate that a senior Minister like Dr Burman should express helplessness in dealing with the two Central government organisations entrusted with a most important task. The non cooperating attitude of these two organisations should be brought to the notice of the Prime Minister for taking the top officials to task. We hope that sealing of the border would be expedited if both the State and the Central Governments join hands and sort out the problems through face to face discussion without resorting to delaying official routine procedure. source: assam tribune