B.RAMAN
The persisting fissures in Assam, which
periodically lead to outbreaks of communal violence, are not between Indian Muslims and
non-Muslims. They are between Indian sons of the soil, whatever be their ethnicity,
religion or language, and Bangladeshi intruders.
2. The failure of successive Governments to deal
effectively with continuing illegal immigration from Bangladesh by sealing the
border, by strengthening border controls and by identifying and throwing back
the illegal immigrants is giving rise to understandable concerns in the minds
of the sons of the soil that they are being inexorably reduced to a minority in
their own homeland.
3.There are even suspicions and fears of political
and administrative connivance in facilitating the illegal migration and the
integration of the illegal migrants with our own citizenry. The extent of these
suspicions and concerns was evident from the observations of a Bodo student in
an NDTV debate on the night of July 28,2012. He alleged that due to inaction by
successive Governments the Muslims constitute 75 per cent of the population in
certain areas.
4. While his figures seemed to be exaggerated,
officials in our intelligence and security establishments agree that the
failure of the State and Central Governments to counter head-on the problem of
illegal immigration is eroding our internal security machinery in the North-East.
5.There are similar suspicions and concerns in the Rakhine State
of Myanmar over the non-stopping illegal immigration of Muslims, known as
Rohingyas, from Bangladesh. The anger among the sons of the soil over these
intruders from Bangladesh periodically leads to outbreaks of violence between
Muslims and non-Muslims.
6. There was one such outbreak recently in which
there were about 80 fatalities and the internal displacement of a large number
of persons who live in camps. A state of emergency was proclaimed by the Myanmar
Government in the entire State and the Army was deployed to restore and
maintain order and communal peace. Despite this, total normalcy has not yet
been restored.
7.The Myanmar Government, security forces and
political leaders including Aung San Suu
Kyi have been maintaining firmly that the problem in the Rakhine State is one
of effective enforcement of law against foreign intruders. Suu Kyi, who is a
strong defender of the ethnic rights of Myanmar’s ethnic minorities, has
steadfastly refused to recognise the Rohingyas as an ethnic group of Myanmar.
They are looked upon as intruders from Bangladesh who have no right to enjoy
the same rights as the citizens of Myanmar.
8. Despite pressure from the UN , the Organisation
of Islamic Countries and Western non-governmental human rights organisations,
the Myanmar Government has been firmly
adhering to the view that these illegal migrants should either go back to
Bangladesh or migrate to other countries that might be prepared to accommodate them.
9.Compared to India, Myanmar is a weak country. In
spite of that, it has stuck to its position that it cannot extend the same
protection and legal benefits to illegal migrants as it extends to its sons of
the soil.
10.We call ourselves a big power. We pride
ourselves on our national strength. And yet, we do not have the national will
to act firmly and decisively against the Pakistan-based terrorists and the Bangladesh origin illegal migrants who are
slowly corroding our internal security.
11. The failure to admit and address the problems
posed by the presence of a large number of
Bangladeshi intruders in Assam and the continuing further intrusion is
due to various factors such as political opportunism, political and
administrative complicity with the intruders and an inability and unwillingness
to understand the strategic threat posed by them to peace and harmony in Assam.
12. The problem is rendered even more explosive by
the insensitive attitude of the indigenous Muslims of Assam. They are one of
us. They are our co-citizens entitled to the same rights and protection as you
and I. But their misplaced feelings of religious solidarity with the Muslim
intruders from Bangladesh and their tendency to downplay the extent of illegal
migration and the threats posed by the migrants are creating suspicions in the
minds of the non-Muslim sons of the soil.
13. The indigenous Muslim sons of the soil should identify themselves
with the feelings, suspicions and concerns of the non-Muslim citizens. They
should be in the forefront of national solidarity. Otherwise, the wedge between
the Muslim and non-Muslim sons of the soil
could grow wider and create more tensions and violence.
14.It is time for the Governments at the Centre and
in the State, the political parties, the administration and leaders of the
indigenous Muslims to do a serious introspection over the gathering
concerns in Assam and act unitedly
against the intruders from Bangladesh. Ideas being floated by some think-tanks
orchestrated from outside India for regularising the stay of the migrants by
issuing them work permits are harebrained and should not be touched.
15. The only solution is stopping further illegal
immigration through border fencing and identifying and throwing out those who
have already come in. There is no question of their illegalities being regularised.
(29-7-12)
( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd),
Cabinet Secretariat, Govt of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director,
Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate, Chennai Centre For China
Studies. E-Mail: seventyone2@gmail.com . Twitter: @SORBONNE75 )
