This situation is now getting more puzzling. The CM says all thepeople who feld were Indians (and they left out of fear). But RipunBora (a minister in the cabinet) has just the opposite to say (today'sSentinel) The editorial though says "But this time, the organizers of theeconomic boycott took care not to drive them away by means ofintimidation, coercion or physical violence." IHMO, if this "Yuva Manch" NGO (I suppose the term would apply here)keeps the movement non-violent, and does achieve some success inidentifying and discouraging B'deshi illegals into settling down inAssam, then thats good. ___ Influx and Economic Boycott T he reported exodus of suspected illegal migrants from Dibrugarh andsome of its neighbouring districts has so unnerved the Government ofChief Minister Tarun Gogoi that he has sent his trusted Minister ofState, Home, Rockybul Hussain and Home Commissioner BK Gohain toDibrugarh to assess the situation and submit a report. It appears thata hitherto unknown youth organization called Chiring Chapori YuvaManch hit upon a novel idea to deprive the suspected Bangladeshnationals of jobs and shelters by calling upon the indigenous peopleto resort to economic boycott. Since hordes of people of unknownorigin moved into several upper Assam districts during the last fewmonths and the official machinery under the PIF scheme failed even tomake enquiries to find out who these migrants were, intervention bycivil society became inevitable. In the past, similar interventionsled to disturbing situations triggering off violence that turned intocommunal conflict. But this time, the organizers of ! the economicboycott took care not to drive them away by means of intimidation,coercion or physical violence. The first report indicates that thesepeople of doubtful nationality have voluntarily left the abovedistricts failing to get jobs or shelters. It is the exasperation ofthe indigenous people at the government's failure to initiateappropriate action against the illegal migrants of Bangladesh originthat led to this desperate act. It is desperate but in no sense it canbe called a transgression of law. This is a kind of passive resistancethat has made the social space inhospitable for strangers who come insearch of seasonal jobs, then try to settle down and graduallyincrease their numbers. But this is also a situation where things maygo very wrong. If the people's annoyance at the official apathy in anissue that vitally concerns the people's ethno-cultural identity andfuture livelihood crosses the limit of tolerance, there is everypossibility that such annoyance may find ex! pression in violentoutbursts rather than being channelized into peaceful passiveresistance. If it happens, it will happen because of the governments'failure to read the writing on the wall. There is a huge StateGovernment machinery under the PIF scheme funded by the Government ofIndia that has not been allowed to function over the years underpressure from vested interests. It consists of 159 watch posts, 15patrol posts, 344 investigation centres and six passport check-posts.It is also supposed to man a second line behind the BSF patrols on theborder. All the personnel in these posts are either sitting idle ordoing some routine police jobs except the ones they are supposed todo. They are even afraid to question the suspected illegal migrantsbecause powerful politicians raise uproar. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoisays that there is no illegal migrant in Assam. If it is so, why isthis elaborate arrangement called the PIF Scheme? Is it only to pullthe wool over the eyes of the indig! enous people? And what is theMinister of State for Home going to do about these 4,000 or sosuspected Bangladesh nationals who have left Dibrugarh districtvoluntarily? Is he going to bring these suspected migrants back to thedistrict and put them in a camp? What for? Have they lost theirhearths and homes? If they are Indian nationals belonging to aparticular district as claimed by an MP, they have their homes thereand need not be in a camp. But if they are foreigners they are to bedeported. The indigenous people suspect them to be foreign nationals.There is a statute that discourages people even to lodge complaintsagainst so-called illegal migrants by imposing a condition of paymentof a fine-like fee for each complaint. They have, therefore, takenrecourse to the only available peaceful means of resistance — economicboycott. If it fails, mobs may take over. That will be a verydangerous situation inescapably leading to communal conflicts. Thevested interests may even like to in! vite such a situation, for thiswill give them an opportunity to drown the main issue under communalnoises. The Government must wake up to the reality, allow its PIFScheme to be effective and take all possible steps to preventinfiltration from Bangladesh. It is the bounden duty of the governmentto protect the interests of the country's rightful citizens and not toshelter foreigners. _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list [email protected] http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam
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