Author: Dina Nath Mishra
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: February 23, 2003
No country faces the problem of
illegal migrants as gigantic as India does. Over two crore Bangladeshis
are residing in this country, mostly in neighbouring States. Cities like
Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad have lakh of Bangladeshi infiltrators living
there. These infiltrators are involved in many heinous crimes. The Indian
Government puts their figure at 1.5 crore. Their numbers are more than
the total Afghan population. The menace has changed the demography of the
entire East.
The most affected States are West
Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Tripura and Northeast States. The six border districts
of West Bengal, viz South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad,
Malda and West Dinajpur; four districts of Bihar, viz. Purnia, Katihar,
Kishanganj and Araria; and 10 districts of Assam, viz Dhubri, Barpeta,
Bongaigaon, Nalhari, Kokrajai, Lakhimpur, Darrang, Nagaon and Kamrup have
become extensions of Bangladesh. If nothing is done, India will certainly
face demands for another partition in the coming decades. Already, there
is a demand for 'Greater Bangladesh' by a couple of Dhaka-based organisations,
funded by ISI. India has 4,096 kms border with Bangladesh. On almost the
entire border, there is already 5-15 kms deep strip within the Indian side
totally populated by Bangladeshi Muslims.
After Pakistan's partition and creation
of Bangladesh, infiltration changed into a systematic and planned demographic
aggression. This resulted in a sudden dip in the Hindu population which
plummeted to 8 per cent. In 1947, it was 28 per cent. Despite this, Bangladesh
is the most thickly populated country in the world. It is poorer than the
neighbouring Indian States.
After independence, Bangladesh emerged
as a secular State under a new constitution and the leadership of its father
of the nation, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. But eventually, he became the target
of Islamists and was done away with. The residual Pakistani influence was
quite powerful. The word 'secular' was dropped in 1977 by General Zia-ur-Rahman.
Islam had already been declared the 'State religion' in the Bangla constitution
since General Ershad's time in lieu of Saudi aid for setting up mosques
and madrasas in Bangladesh.
India's corrupt BSF personnel let
poor Bangladeshis enter India. The booty was shared by high-ranking officers
as well. Indian votebank politics facilitated these infiltrators a place
in the voter's list and acquire ration cards. They had experience of pre-independence
days when former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad, in his neighbouring Assam
Lok Sabha constituency, invited Bangladeshis to make his constituency a
Muslim majority. They also knew that Indian media would hide the largescale
Bangladeshi infiltration. It was only the BJP which was raising the issue
of Bangladeshi infiltration, but the entire secular establishment either
brushed it aside, or twisted it to suit the votebank politics and paint
the BJP with a communal colour.
However, Bangladesh never conceded
the existence of its people in India. Even its Prime Minister or Ministers
visiting Delhi unabashedly denied it. In fact, a decade-long Assam agitation
did not bring the Congress back to its senses.
Any effort to push back even a few
hundred Bangladeshis was thwarted by the West Bengal Government. When once
illegal Bangladeshis living in Mumbai were sent by train to Kolkata, the
State Government did not cooperate. Many Chief Ministers opposed the proposal
of multipurpose citizenship card. But gradually, the presence of a large
Bangladeshi population in various States made political statements by their
mere presence. BJP's campaign gathered momentum. Also, politicians and
various parties realised the hidden dangers of this demographic change.
Moreover, Buddhadev Bhattacharya replaced Jyoti Basu. For the first time,
a change in the attitude of the political elite was seen.
In the recent Chief Minister's Conference,
a general consensus on the question of Bangladeshi infiltration was reached.
Now it appears that State Governments would cooperate in identifying the
Bangladeshis in their respective States. BSF has started taking a tough
stand to check further infiltration. A delegation of West Bengal ruling
Left Front is scheduled to meet Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani to press
for the Centre's intervention in resolving the problem.
Till recently, no Bangladeshi authority
admitted the presence of Bangladeshis on Indian soil. But during his recent
visit to India, Foreign Minister Murshed Khan conceded the Bangladeshi
citizens' presence in India. Mr Advani has been adopting a reasonably tough
stand on this problem. While talking to the Bangladeshi Foreign Minister,
he made it clear that Bangladeshi infiltrators have no right to reside
here permanently. In no country, such illegal immigration takes place.
The priorities should be expeditious
border fencing, smashing immigration and smuggling rackets, weeding out
corrupt BSF personnel, creating separate immigration service in charge
of long-term national immigration policy, sustained diplomatic assertiveness
and simultaneously increase the trade and other economic relations with
Dhaka for huge bilateral economic gains.
