People's Democracy

FOREIGNERS’ ISSUE IN ASSAM

Left and Secular Parties against Communialistion of the Problem

Isfaqur Rahman

THE Assam state committee of the CPI(M) convened a meeting of different non-Congress, non-BJP parties, organisations and prominent citizens at Guwahati on May 25, to discuss the situation arising out of the detection and deportation of the so called illegal migrants from the state.

The new situation emerged after May 6 last when incidents of economic boycott, intimidation and harassment against a large number of genuine Indian citizens belonging to the religious minority communities started at Chiring Chapori in Dibrugarh district, following campaigns unleashed by the saffron brigade and a section of chauvinistic forces. In the name of economic blockade against the so-called ‘foreigners,’ day labourers, rickshaw pullers, thella-wallas, domestic help etc were subjected to intimidation and harassment in large parts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and elsewhere in the state. The Congress(I) government in Assam has also failed to protect the genuine Indian citizens, as a result of which large scale exodus of minority people from upper Assam districts has taken place.

The CPI(M) sponsored meeting of May 25 was chaired by eminent social scientist and historian Dr Amalendu Guha and was attended by representatives of the Janata Dal (S), Samajvadi Party, NCP, CPI (ML- Liberation), RSP, RCPI, SUCI and UMF, apart from a number of prominent individuals. The meeting witnessed a large gathering.

Initiating the discussion, CPI(M) state secretary Uddhab Barman explained the present situation and urged upon the different political parties and the people of the state to resist the communal onslaught of the RSS-BJP and to build up public opinion in defence of the rights of Indian citizens who are being subjected to ill-treatment and forced to leave their houses and workplaces.

The meeting was addressed by Prabin Sama (NCP), Kantimoy Deb (SUCI), Subhas Sen (CPI-ML Liberation), Harendra Dev Goswami (Janata Dal-S), Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury (UMF), Ambu Bora (RCPI), Ratneswar Gogoi (RSP), Bhubanewar Barman (Samajvadi Party) and Hemen Das (CPI-M). Among the prominent citizens, Adip Kumar Phukan (editor, Dainik Batori), Dr Phani Gogoi (retired professor of Guwahati University), Sabita Goswami (veteran journalist) and Hafiz Ahmed of Char-Chapori Sahitya Sabha also addressed the meeting. All the participants hailed the initiative of the CPI(M) for holding the meeting and expressed concern at the communal offensive.

Summing up of the discussions, CPI(M) Central Committee member Hemen Das explained the problem of infiltration and the party’s stand in this regard. He came down heavily on the RSS-BJP for communalising the problem of illegal infiltration and also criticized the Congress government for its failure to safeguard the genuine citizens. He demanded complete sealing of the Indo-Bangla border as well as detection and deportation of Bangladeshi nationals, taking March 25, 1971 as the cut-off date.

The meeting unanimously adopted a resolution moved by CPI(M) state secretary Uddhab Barman. The resolution stated, “This meeting of the Left and secular parties of Assam and prominent citizens of the state expresses concern at the increasing incidents of economic and social boycott, intimidation, harassment of and atrocities perpetrated against a section of religious minority people in the name of deportation of “illegal migrants.” Large sections of such people are Indian citizens and were ravaged by flood and erosion. The state government has also failed to protect the genuine Indian citizens who are being dubbed as foreigners.”

The resolution further said, “Making full use of the atmosphere of tension and violence, the communal forces are trying to create division and disturb peace in the state. Both the Congress and the BJP are trying to polarise the people for narrow political interests… These incidents pose a danger to the unity and integrity of the people of Assam.”

Besides, the meeting unanimously condemned the unrealistic statement of the Assam governor, Lt Gen Ajai Singh, that about 6,000 illegal migrants daily crossed over to the Indian side of the border from Bangladesh.

The parties also demanded that all the illegal migrants who entered Assam After March 25, 1971 are to be lawfully detected and deported. Furthermore, the Indo-Bangla border must be sealed and illegal migration stopped.  Instead of communalising the foreigners issue, all the illegal migrants must be detected and deported, irrespective of religion, as per the law of the land and the constitution. The meeting also demanded that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) must be updated immediately, taking 1971 as the cut-off year, and all the citizens of the pre-1971 period must be given photo identity cards.

Earlier, the Assam unit of the CPI(M) issued the following statement on May 21, 2005:

“The Assam state committee of the CPI(M) expresses grave concern at the increasing incidents of intimidation and harassment meted out against a large number of poor and toiling Indian citizens in the name of detection and deportation of illegal migrants in the districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia etc.

“The CPI(M) has noted that attempts are being made to spread the incidents of intimidation and assault which started at Chiring Chapori in Dibrugarh district against a section of Indian citizens belonging to religious minority communities. As a result, an atmosphere of tension and violence has gripped the state. In this renewed anti-minority campaign in the state, the saffron brigade of the RSS-BJP-Bajrang Dal are mainly involved. Keeping an eye on the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, due next year, the BJP-RSS is hell-bent to crate communal tension and division in the state. Taking advantage of the situation in Dibrugarh and elsewhere in the state, organisations like the VHP and Bajrang Dal are trying to create communal clashes in Nalbari and other districts too. Due to the provocation of the saffron brigade, the Islamic fundamentalist forces, too, are trying to utilise the opportunity for spreading communal venom. In fact, the communal and fundamentalist forces are trying to disrupt the unity of the people of Assam.

“On the infiltration of foreign nationals, the CPI(M) has been reiterating its stand that all the illegal migrants who entered Assam after March 25, 1971 are to be lawfully detected and deported. Furthermore, the Indo-Bangla border be sealed and illegal migration be stopped. Instead of communalising the foreigners’ issue, all the illegal migrants be detected and deported irrespective of religion as per the law of the land and the constitution. The CPI(M) has also been demanding that the NRC be updated immediately, taking March 25, 1971 as the cut-off date, and all the citizens of the pre-1971 period be given photo identity cards.

“However, unfortunately, both the central and state governments have failed to stop illegal migration and also to protect the genuine Indian citizens. Of late, instead of protecting the Indian citizens, the Congress (I) government in Assam displayed utter callousness when hundreds of Indian citizens belonging to minority communities were threatened and driven out from the district of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia etc. It is reported that even a section of police officials are involved in the harassment meted out to the minority citizens. It is pertinent to note that a large number of people who were driven out from the districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia etc., are genuine Indian citizens and most of them are poor labourers who were displaced from the districts of Kamrup, Barpeta, Goalpara etc. due to flood havoc and erosion. In search of livelihood, they had to settle in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia etc and worked as rickshaw pullers, thella-wallas, daily wage labourers etc.

“The CPI(M) demands immediate halt to the renewed attacks on minority Indian citizens. The party appeals to the democratic and peace loving people of Assam to defeat the conspiracies of the communal forces and also not to take law into their own hands in the name of deporting the ‘foreigners.’ (INN)