Naga: Seminar calls to fight illegal immigrants

Kohima, Aug 27: A seminar on 'Modernisation without Westernisation and Illegal Immigration in Northeast Bharatvarsha' resolved the threat to the socio-cultural identity of the people of the region and a danger to sovereignty of the nation.

Organised by the Janjati Vikash Samity of Nagaland, the two-day seminar concluded last evening, where speakers from across the country stressed the need to make a collective effort to fight the issue of the illegal immigrants from across Bangladesh.

All resource persons and delegates deliberated on the unabated influx of illegal immigration by Bangladeshis into Assam and to all Northeast states the imminent threat to the integrity and sovereignty of the country.

They felt there was an urgent necessity for the people of the region to make a united effort to fight the scourge.

Presenting his papers, former Assam Chief Secretary JP Rajkhowa said infiltration, despite Centre's claim of deploying border guards, had been going on with the support of Islamic fundamentalist groups, Jehadi elements, pro-Bangladshi supporters in Assam and so called minority organisations and in connivance with 'vote-bank' hungry politicians and parties.

He said close links of the ISI of Pakistan and DGFI of Bangladesh with insurgent and terrorist groups of the Northeast settling down in Bangladesh, had further complicated the situation for Assam and making it the easiest grazing ground of the land hungry and impoverished and exclusive Bangladeshi Muslims.

He pointed out that these Bangladeshi Muslims in Assam had already become a very powerful political as well as economic force.

Former ADGP of Assam Ashok Kumar Sahu highlighted as to how the land-hungry Muslims continued to infiltrate into land-rich Assam under direct patronage of leaders in the Congress party, who were equally hungry of the Muslim votes.

He further said Foreigners Agitation that started in 1979 gave birth of ULFA, a Maoist insurgent organization and the metamorphosis of a regional political party, the Asom Gana Parishad(AGP).

The agitation that continued till 1985 was intended to get the names of the foreigners deleted from the Voters' List and deported them from India.

Incidentally, though the AGP ruled the state for 10 years after 1985, the people suffered due to lack of attention from the party they had supported, he claimed.

Moreover, the ULFA had to seek refuge in Bangladesh thereby virtually becoming a pawn in the hands of the ISI, he said.

Mr Rammohan, former DG of BSF, noted journalist Samudragupta Kashyap, Col RS Jassal, Roop Singh Bhil and Saponti Borthakur were among others, who also presented their papers on the issue.

UNI