Amit Shah
Credit: PTI Photo
Guwahati: Stating that "illegal migration" since 1947 from neighbouring Bangladesh into Northeastern region has already reduced some indigenous communities into minorities, North East Students' Organisation (NESO) urged Home Minister Amit Shah not to provide asylum to a single Bangladeshi in the region.
In a memorandum submitted to Shah on Wednesday, NESO, an umbrella body of major students' organisations said that the ongoing crisis in Bangladesh may lead to an exodus of its nationals into the Northeast, where four states share over a 1,800-km border with the country.
All Assam Students' Union, Khasi Students' Union, Garo Students' Union, All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union, Naga Students' Federation, All Manipur Students' Union, Mizoram Zirlai Pawl and Twipra Students' Federation are part of the NESO.
Mass migration:
"Past events proved that whenever there is a civil war or a riot in Bangladesh, the Northeastern region always had to bear the brunt of mass illegal immigration from the country. During the Partition in 1947, lakhs of Bengalis from East Paskistan illegally crossed the border and forcibly occupied lands in Assam and Tripura (then a Union Territory). Similarly, during Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, again lakhs of East Pakistanis migrated into India including the Northeast India, creating a demographic imbalance especially in Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya. This unabated flow of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, brings forth an air of tension and stiff competition," The NESO said.
The students' body said such mass migration led to a contestation of space, forced cultural assimilation, economic competition and distrust between the indigenous population and the foreigners. "It is because of such illegal migration, Assam witnessed the six-year-long Assam Agitation, causing martyrdom of 860 indigenous people. In Tripura, the indigenous people became minorities and lost political power to the migrants. Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh too, witnessed mass movement in the past and at present in demand of deportation of Foreigners from their states."
The NESO said such unabated flow of immigrants into the region led to insecurity, riots and clashes between foreigners and indigenous communities. "So we seek your immediate intervention to ensure that no illegal migrant enters the Northeastern states from Bangladesh. We also request that not even a single Bangladeshi should be granted asylum or rehabilitation in the region," said the NESO memorandum addressed to Shah.