Citizenship, migration and politics
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: October 13 2015 -
The Government of India on September 7 decided to exempt Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals belonging to minority communities who have entered into India on or before December 31, 2014 from the relevant provisions of rules and order made under the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the Foreigners Act, 1946, in respect of their entry and stay in India without such documents or after the expiry of those documents.
The Government issued two notifications in the Official Gazette on the same day under the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the Foreigners Act, 1946.
According to an official statement, the decision was taken after considering the fact that there are a number of Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals belonging to minority communities like Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Parsis and Buddhists. They have been compelled to seek shelter in India due to “religious persecution or fear of religious persecution.”
While the Government of India claims that the decision was taken after much deliberation, it was apparent that many States were not consulted on the issue.
In the Northeastern region of India, Assam was the first State to react and the Centre’s decision received flak from most civil society organisations in the State.
Now, the powerful All Assam Students Union (AASU) has threatened to launch a “Second Assam Movement” to protest against what it alleged as the decision of the Government of India to grant citizenship to all Hindu Bangladeshis who came to Assam after 1971.
AASU has made it clear that Assam will not bear the burden of illegal migrants whether they are Hindus or Muslims while clarifying that the union was neither anti-Muslims nor anti-Bengalis but are against illegal Bangladeshis.
AASU’s warning should not be taken lightly in the light of the legacy it had inherited from the pre 1985 Assam Accord.
The Accord was a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed between representatives of the Government of India and the leaders of the great Assam movement in New Delhi on 15 August 1985.
The accord brought an end to a massive agitation led by students. It also paved the way for the leaders of the agitation to form a political party and come to power, totally changing the dynamics of politics in the Northeast region with regard to migrations.
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