'Its now or never’: AASU backs deportation of illegal Bangladesh immigrants

Guwahati, May 27: Since Bangladesh had taken a pro-Pakistan stand during the recent conflict with India, it is the best time for India to take a strong stand and forcefully deport all the Bangladesh nationals living illegally in India. This is the demand of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU).

Talking to The Assam Tribune, AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya welcomed the recent drive launched by Assam Police to detect Bangladesh nationals staying illegally in Assam. But at the same time, he said that such a step should have been launched immediately after the signing of the Assam Accord. “The people of Assam have waited for nearly 40 years for deportation of Bangladesh nationals and it is now or never,” he said.

Bhattacharya said that a special operation could be launched against Bangladesh nationals staying in India and it should be a continuous process. He said that illegal migrants should be deported forcefully if required.

For years, the Government of India had taken a soft stand towards Bangladesh as it was termed as a friendly country. The worst sufferers of that policy was Assam and other parts of the Northeast as along with Bangladesh nationals, elements of terrorist groups also managed to sneak into Assam, he said.

He pointed out that recent arrests of jehadi elements in Assam highlighted a serious security threat and under the circumstances, Central and State governments should act tough. If shoot-at-sight orders can be given along the border with Pakistan, there is no reason why such orders cannot be given in case of India-Bangladesh border, he added.

Bhattacharya pointed out that time and again, the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court had pointed out the serious threat posed by illegal migration from Bangladesh. “Though the AASU is not satisfied with the National Register of Citizens and filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking its review, the NRC proved that there are lakhs of Bangladesh nationals living in Assam. Moreover, time and again, Union ministers gave the figures of Bangladesh nationals living in India on the floor of Parliament. But unfortunately, the Central and State governments failed to take strong steps to detect and deport the foreigners,” he said.

On the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Bhattacharya said that the Act is not in force in most parts of the Northeast and 8 districts of Assam. The Centre should exempt entire Assam from the purview of the Act, he demanded.