NESO bandh and its message
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: September 07, 2012 -

Empty streets due to North East bandh called by NESO in Imphal City on 06 September 2012 :: Pix - Bunti Phurailatpam

On Thursday, barring Assam, normal life in Northeast region remained disrupted on account of the 12-hour total bandh called by North East Students' Organisation (NESO) in protest against 'harassment' of people from the region in other parts of the country as well as to demand some concrete steps from the Centre to detect and deport illegal migrants from the region.

The bandh call has come in the backdrop of recent mass exodus of people from northeast origin from some major cities of India following alleged threat of reprisal over the intermittent violence between the indigenous Bodos and the Bengali speaking migrant Muslims in Assam.

Of course, NESO has been raising the demand for immediate detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshis from the North East, updating of the National Register of Citizens and its completion before the next Lok Sabha polls, sealing of the India-Bangladesh border before the next Lok Sabha polls and no land settlements of migrants who arrived after 1971 in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Dhubri and Bongaigaon districts in Assam for the last many years, but an interesting aspect of the total bandh called this time was the overwhelming response and unique show of solidarity from other constituent units of NESO towards spreading the message loud and clear.

As a matter of fact, the problem of illegal migrants is not confined to Assam alone any more, other parts of the northeast region including Manipur have already started feeling the pressure of illegal migrants.

Taking cue from Tripura where the native people have been reduced to minority in their own home land, various social organizations in Manipur have been demanding implementation of Inner Line Permit System or putting in place some mechanism to check influx of outsiders.

Now, with Assam burning over the issue of illegal migrants, it is good that the State Home Department has started taking up steps to identity illegal migrants who have come to settle in different parts of the State.

To avoid an Assam-like situation in Manipur, there is the need to strengthen the ongoing operation.

In fact, it may be the first time that a state government in the region has shown serious concern over the issue of illegal migrants, and we should be proud of this.

Nonetheless, in addition to sealing the entry points of influx, there is the need to expand the ongoing drive against illegal migrants all over the state. Because detection of illegal migrants in some pockets of Hatta Golapati, Lilong, Serou or Jiribam is nothing but the proverbial 'tip of iceberg'.

It is unnerving why the people in these areas have remained quiet for long despite the looming danger from ever increasing influx of illegal migrants.

So, the state government also needs to mobilize and encourage the people in help in identifying the illegal migrants if it really wants to avoid an Assam-like situation in near future.