“Large presence of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants poses a grave threat to the internal security and it should be viewed strongly.”

The issue of illegal immigration from across the international border is hotting up once again as a Parliamentary panel noted that the problem poses a grave threat to national security. The view was echoed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.   

The Parliamentary panel has noted that “large presence of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants poses a grave threat to the internal security and it should be viewed strongly.” The Committee, headed by Sushma Swaraj, also said in its 46-page report that counterfeit notes were in large circulation along the Indo-Bangladesh border. “The Committee strongly recommends that movement along the border may be strictly monitored,” the report on Demands for Grants of the Home Ministry said.

The report pointed out that the porous Indo-Bangla border and the practical difficulties due to topographical reasons acting as impediments in the timely completion of border works projects were reasons behind “influx” of illegal Bangladeshi migrants. It has been reported that these illegal migrants have been able to secure ration cards, driving licences, voter identity cards and even PAN cards, the report said. It also quoted media reports, citing intelligence sources, as saying that terrorist groups have been recruiting Bangladeshis in India.

Reports have appeared that certain Bangladeshi insurgent groups have been involved in terrorist incidents in India, the report said.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said “Illegal immigration is a serious problem in our country. I really agree on this. But the Bangladesh Government has been denying this issue.”

“I have talked to the Prime Minister about this matter and how to solve it,” he added.

The Union minister said that this was happening due to food crisis in Bangladesh. But the Centre is now serious on how to stop the illegal migrants from coming to India, Mr. Mukherjee added.

It is learnt that to prevent the illegal immigration, the Union Home Ministry has taken various measures like construction of border fencing, flood lighting and roads to enable more effective patrolling, the Parliamentary panel said.

Assignment of border guarding duties on the Indo-Bangladesh border to a single force, BSF, augmentation of its strength through additional battalions, reduction of gaps between border outposts, and provision of modern surveillance and other equipment and gadgetry to BSF are some other steps.

The Home Ministry has also been issuing instructions to State Governments and Union Territories from time to time to take sustained action to detect foreign nationals, including Bangladeshi nationals, staying illegally in the country. As many as 32 Foreign Tribunals under the provisions of the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964 have also been constituted in Assam for detention of illegal migrants and foreigners.

The issue of illegal migrants from Bangladesh also figured prominently in the just-concluded talks between the heads of Border Security Force and Bangladesh Rifles.

Meanwhile, Concerned over the ‘alarming rate of infiltration’ in Assam and Meghalaya, NCP leader P A Sangma has said Bangladeshis are welcome but with valid work permits.

“There are 10 million Indians working in Gulf countries with work permits. Similarly people from Bangladesh are also welcome to Meghalaya if they want to earn and then go back. But they must have valid work permits and cannot, at any cost, settle down here,” Sangma observed.

Voicing concern over the changing demographic pattern of the North-East, especially in Assam and Meghalaya, Sangma said, “the changing ethnic pattern of the region calls for stringent measures to check the infiltration.”

The Centre, he said, has agreed to set up an Institute of Border Management at Baghmara in South Garo Hills district of Meghalaya to train personnel manning the porous international borders.

“Meghalaya Government, in the next Assembly sitting, will bring about a legislation making birth and death registrations mandatory in the State,” he said, adding that this exercise will help curb the menace to a large extent.

Sangma, also the State Planning Board chief and ruling Meghalaya Progressive Alliance Government’s chief mentor said, government is taking steps to make people more conscious about the issue at the grassroot level. “The village headmen have been instructed to inform the authorities about any stranger spotted in their areas,” the former Lok Sabha Speaker said. Referring to the porous international border with Bangladesh, he said this caused unchecked infiltration into the North East and the issue caused unrest in several states of the region.

On the other hand, Asom Revenue Minister Dr Bhumidhar Barman informed that the State Government was not aware of the recent report of the Central Intelligence Department regarding the “illegal entry of 70 lakh Bangladeshis into Asom” in the last decade. Mr. Barman said: “A total of 7,861 people illegally entered Asom. They were identified and deported from 2001 to 2007, and a number of steps were taken to stop influx from across the international border”.

He informed that Border police personnel have been posted in all the districts of the State for detection and deportation of illegal foreigners.

On its part, All Assam Students Union (AASU) has expressed anguish over the failure of the Centre as well as Assam Government to meet the deadline for fencing the India-Bangladesh border stretch in Assam as agreed upon in the first and hitherto only Prime Minister level tripartite meeting held in New Delhi on May 5, 2005.

The AASU leaders Dr Samujjal Bhattacharrya, Sankar Prasad Rai and Tapan Gogoi on Monday informed that the PM level tripartite talks among the Government of India, Assam Government and the AASU had set December 31, 2006 deadline for completion of border fencing along the 272 kilometers long India-Bangladesh borders in Western and Southern Assam sectors. But, because of sluggish progress of the work in the project that is being implemented by the NBCC, the deadline was extended to March 31, 2207 and again to March 31, 2008.

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