Major flush out of illegal settelers on the cards

Aizawl, Oct 15: The spectre of ethnic conflict between Mizos and non-Mizos looms large with a fresh move by the government to identify floating population, including non-Mizo Indians, staying in the state on the eve of 20th year of the Mizoram peace accord.

The government decided to take steps to flush out foreigners and illegal immigrants from the state by conducting a unique population survey.

The decision was taken during a meeting Chief Minister Zoramthanga had with senior bureaucrats last week.

According to official sources, the chief minister initiated the move and stressed on need to conduct the survey following infiltration from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

''Infiltration has become a major problem for the state which hampers development of Mizoram and the process would identify extremists who may enter the country through Mizoram,'' Zoramthanga said.

''We share an international border with Bangladesh and Myanmar and chances of illegal immigrants crossing over to Mizoram is quite high,'' he said adding that the state government was concerned about those who had already sneaked into the country.

Explaining the decision and the model of survey, Zoramthanga said even Indian nationals who enter the state illegally without ILP would be subjected to the survey in order to root out illegal settelers in Mizoram.

He said the state capital was especially vulnerable to these illegal nationals as a result of which stringent checking of Inner Line permits (ILP) would be conducted.

Zoramthanga said landlords and lodge owners have to ensure that tenants have proper permit to stay in the state and make sure that no Inner Line Permit(ILP) holder gets permanent shelter. According to the plan, names of all ILP holders will be entered in a register and it would be the responsibility of landlords and hotel owners to see that names are entered in the register.

A sub-committee for the population survey, labeled Sub-Committee on Preparation and Maintenance of Veng(locality/village) Register, had prepared a plan of action which was discussed in the meeting.

The action plan envisions the registration of all residents, whether permanent or temporary, of Mizoram, the setting up of Veng Register Committees in each locality and village and the employment of trusted people to maintain the register.

Sources said, some Mizo organisations had put pressure on the state government to flush out foreigners and illegal residents staying in the state and had even set up its own survey teams from the branches located in each locality and village.

Earlier, the Mizoram government had taken steps to contain illegal immigration from neighbouring Bangladesh and a new state monitoring committee was set up to check infiltration in acccordance with the Union Home ministry's instructions but it failed to achieve the target.

Now the state monitoring committee will set up a special task force of police personnel in all the districts bodering Bangladesh and they will work along with the BSF deployed at strategic points.

''We asked our liason officer in Silchar (Asom) to be more careful in issuing inner line permits and have also requested the deputy commissioner's office to avoid any possible entry of illegal immigants,'' pointed out state chief secretary Haukhum Hauzel.

According to intelligence sources, the state has a population of more than 40,000 muslims who have come over from Bangladesh as well as from bordering areas of Asom and about 20,000 Burmese.

UNI