NESO urges PM, HM to secure NE borders
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 07 2024: North East Students' Organisation (NESO) submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, urging them to take immediate action for securing the borders of north eastern states in light of the escalating crisis in Bangladesh.

NESO, representing eight student bodies from seven states namely Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura, expressed deep concern over potential repercussions of the turmoil in Bangladesh in the North Eastern region of India and emphasised the need to prevent illegal immigration from Bangladesh as it could have serious impact on the indigenous communities.

Highlighting instances of illegal immigration from Bangladesh during periods of civil unrest, NESO recalled the massive influx of Bengalis from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) during the partition in 1947 and the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 which resulted in significant demographic changes in Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya, and created long-standing tension and competition for resources between the indigenous population and the immigrants.

Along with elaborating on the socio-economic and cultural ramifications of immigration, the region's apex students' body said North East region, home to a multitude of indigenous communities, has been significantly affected by the arrival of illegal immigrants.

The indigenes, being small in numbers, faced severe challenges in preserving their traditional lands, cultural identities, and economic resources, it underscored and pointed out how illegal immigrants have settled in indigenous territories without consent, leading to forced cultural assimilation, economic competition, and distrust.

This has resulted in a drastic alteration of the demographic structure in several regions, overwhelming the indigenous populations and disrupting their traditional way of life, the memorandum pointed out.

NESO cited the example of Tripura, where the native tribal population has been reduced to a mere 30 per cent due to mass migration since 1947.This demographic shift has led to political marginalisation of the indigenous tribes, who now face daily discrimination, violence, and marginalisation.

Similarly, Assam experienced serious issues with illegal immigration, which led to the six-year-long Assam Movement and the historic Assam Accord aimed at deporting illegal immigrants.

Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh have also witnessed mass movements demanding the deportation of foreigners, it maintained.

As such, NESO called for strict enforcement of border security between North East India and Bangladesh to prevent illegal migration and urged the government to ensure that no illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are granted asylum or rehabilitation in the North East region.

Emphasising the need to safeguard the interests and welfare of the microscopic indigenous populations, NESO requested the government to thoroughly man the borders to detect and deter any attempted illegal migration.

NESO also expressed hope of a positive and swift response from the Prime Minister and the Home Minister so as to maintain the region's demographic balance and ensure the security and well-being of its indigenous people.

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