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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 regularized.
B.
Raman 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
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