Skirting the issue of influx :: Seeking answers
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: August 25, 2012 -

The BJP or rather its president, Nitin Gadkari had a point when he said that the violence in Assam is a fallout of the continuing influx of Bangladeshi migrants.

The question is why is Dispur and Delhi shying away from addressing this issue with the seriousness it deserves ?

What has not come as a surprise is the metamorphosis of a clash between the indigenous Bodos and Bangladeshi migrants to some sort of a stand off between the people of the North East and Muslims, forcing the large scale exodus of North East people from some cities in India.

Clearly the divide that the idea of India spawns is deep. Assam has had its share of troubles and problems borne out of the deep connect between influx of Bangladeshi migrants and vote bank politics.

With land and resources remaining static and in most cases dwindling, it has been a question of survival between the original settlers of the land and those who came later and are generally perceived and seen as usurpers.

This is a universal trend but what is not so universal and is perhaps unique to the present case is the manner in which the people from the North East region have been painted with a single brush.

Not that this is something new but what was unprecedented in some sort of a way was the manner in which the threat perception became so real to trigger an exodus on such a scale.

The truism that time is the best healer may not stand the test this time.

While it is true that the scale of North East people packing their bags and heading homeward has dwindled considerably in the last few days, there is nothing, as yet, to suggest that they have started going back.

This is not to rule out the huge possibility of most of them going back some time in the future but to underline the point that the fear psychosis still reigns.

This is where the announcement of Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar that he is ready to tour the North East States as a confidence building measure gains significance.

Is Mr Shettar better off staying at home and ensuring a secure environment at his home State or will it bear better dividends if he were to visit the North East States ?

There may be no definite answer here, but the need to convey the message that the respective Governments are ready to crack the whip against potential trouble makers cannot be overemphasised here.

How many people have been rounded up so far in connection with the assault/threats on people from the North East ?

Has any progress been made in the investigation of the attack on a train near Jalpaiguri in which more than four persons were killed ?

Answers to these questions should be forthcoming if the appeal to North East people to return is to have any substance.