Saswat Panigrahi
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has noted that the presence of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants poses a grave threat to the nation's internal security. This has, once again, brought the issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh to the fore.
Illegal immigration from Bangladesh into Assam and West Bengal, apart from other border States in the North-East, has been going on since the days when that country was known as East Pakistan. Bangladeshi immigrants are not only confined to these States alone. Their numbers have been recorded at 5.4 million in West Bengal, four million in Assam, 0.5 million in Bihar, 1.5 million in Delhi, 0.8 million in Tripura, 0.5 million in Rajasthan and 0.5 million in Maharashtra. Most of them have been able to secure ration cards, driving licences, voter identity cards and even PAN cards, thanks to vote-bank politics and minority appeasement.
With the population of Bangladeshi immigrants increasing, the crime rate of the country has shown an upward trend. According to media reports, robberies in Kolkata are by and large committed by Bangladeshis. In Purnea, Katihar, Araria and Kishenganj districts of Bihar, they indulge in smuggling and other mafia activities. In Punjab, they are active in organ trade rackets.
More dangerously, Bangladeshi immigrants have links with several terrorist outfits operating within and outside the country. Intelligence agencies have repeatedly pointed out how some terrorist groups have been recruiting Bangladeshis to spread mayhem in India. The Parliamentary Standing Committee has also cited this fact.
The presence of Bangladeshis is slowly draining the resources of the country, besides posing a grave threat to its demographic structure. At least 90 per cent of the total encroached forest land in Assam is found to be under the control of Bangladeshi immigrants. They are present in substantial numbers in as many as 50 of Assam's 126 Assembly constituencies. The report submitted by Lt Gen SK Sinha, the then Governor of Assam, stated: "Large-scale illegal immigration from Bangladesh over decades has been altering the demographic complexion of Assam."
This is not a humanitarian issue but related to India's security and demographic stability. Sadly, successive Governments have shown little interest in finding a solution to this problem.
-- Published in the Edit page, The Pioneer, April 28, 2008
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has noted that the presence of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants poses a grave threat to the nation's internal security. This has, once again, brought the issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh to the fore.
Illegal immigration from Bangladesh into Assam and West Bengal, apart from other border States in the North-East, has been going on since the days when that country was known as East Pakistan. Bangladeshi immigrants are not only confined to these States alone. Their numbers have been recorded at 5.4 million in West Bengal, four million in Assam, 0.5 million in Bihar, 1.5 million in Delhi, 0.8 million in Tripura, 0.5 million in Rajasthan and 0.5 million in Maharashtra. Most of them have been able to secure ration cards, driving licences, voter identity cards and even PAN cards, thanks to vote-bank politics and minority appeasement.
With the population of Bangladeshi immigrants increasing, the crime rate of the country has shown an upward trend. According to media reports, robberies in Kolkata are by and large committed by Bangladeshis. In Purnea, Katihar, Araria and Kishenganj districts of Bihar, they indulge in smuggling and other mafia activities. In Punjab, they are active in organ trade rackets.
More dangerously, Bangladeshi immigrants have links with several terrorist outfits operating within and outside the country. Intelligence agencies have repeatedly pointed out how some terrorist groups have been recruiting Bangladeshis to spread mayhem in India. The Parliamentary Standing Committee has also cited this fact.
The presence of Bangladeshis is slowly draining the resources of the country, besides posing a grave threat to its demographic structure. At least 90 per cent of the total encroached forest land in Assam is found to be under the control of Bangladeshi immigrants. They are present in substantial numbers in as many as 50 of Assam's 126 Assembly constituencies. The report submitted by Lt Gen SK Sinha, the then Governor of Assam, stated: "Large-scale illegal immigration from Bangladesh over decades has been altering the demographic complexion of Assam."
This is not a humanitarian issue but related to India's security and demographic stability. Sadly, successive Governments have shown little interest in finding a solution to this problem.
-- Published in the Edit page, The Pioneer, April 28, 2008
