The Assam Government has no clue
about the whereabouts of this huge number of foreign nationals —an overwhelming
majority believed to be Bangladeshis — who had been detected as ‘illegal
foreigners’ by the three-dozen Foreigners’ Tribunals in the State over the
years.
According to official records,
the 36 Foreigners’ Tribunals in Assam detected a total of 3,83,790 illegal
foreign nationals living in Assam between 1986 and 2012 (till July). However,
shockingly, they have all done a disappearing act, or so the authorities
concerned would have one to believe.
The figures of the Foreigners’
Tribunals further make an alarming revelation. The number of detections of
illegal foreigners has been increasing every year.
While only 503 illegal foreigners
were detected in 1986, a whopping 27,988 such foreigners have been detected by
the Foreigners’ Tribunals in the first seven months of 2012 itself
(January-July).
Assam’s Director General of
Police Jayanta Narayan Choudhury said the problem lies with the Foreigners’
Tribunal Act.
“The suspected foreigners go
missing as they cannot be arrested by the police till they are proved as
Bangladeshis. It takes a long time — right from a case getting registered in
the tribunals against any individual till they are finally confirmed as
foreigners by the tribunals. The suspected people go missing, as according to
the Act, police cannot even detain them for a longer period,” Choudhury said.
He also said that there is
nothing that the State Government can do about this as a Central legislation is
required to amend the act. Chief of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and two-time
former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta charged the Centre for
inaction.
“The Government of India
has not taken up the matter with Bangladesh and there is no extradition treaty
between the two countries.
The detected illegal foreigners
could not be pushed back due to lack of extradition treaty between the two
countries. We have been repeatedly asking the Central and State Governments to
trace these missing illegal foreigners and deport them,” he said.
The figures also assume
significance in view of the recent change in the demographic pattern in at
least six districts of Assam --- Dhubri, Goalpara, Barpeta, Nagaon, Karamganj
and Hailakandi. Out of these six districts, only two districts had a Muslim
majority in 1971. However, 30 years down the line all the six districts have
Muslims as majority (Census 2001).
While Hindus comprised 34.80 per
cent of population in Dhubri in 1971, Muslims made up for 64.46 per cent of the
populace. In 2001, the Hindu population decreased to 24.74 per cent even as the
Muslim population reached 74.29 per cent in the district.
Similarly, Goalpara district had
50.17 per cent Hindu population in 1971 compared to 41.46 per cent Muslims.
According to the 2001 census, Hindus constitute only 38.22 per cent of the
districts total population while the Muslim population increased to 53.71 per
cent.
In Barpeta too, the Muslims
constituted 48.58 per cent compared to 51.19 per cent of the Hindu population
in 1971. In 2001, Muslims became a majority in the district with 59.37 per cent
compared to mere 40.19 per cent of the Hindus. Ditto in Nagaon, where the
Muslims constituted only 39.24 per cent of the population in 1971 compared to
59.57 per cent of the Hindus. In 2001 though, the Muslims became a majority in
the district with 51 per cent. Hindus became a minority comprising only 47.80
per cent. Karimganj and Hailakandi districts have had a similar demographic
change since 1971.
Recently, the 12-hour bandh
called by the North East Students Organisation (NESO) to protest illegal
infiltration from Bangladesh and demand Central Government’s immediate
intervention to find a lasting solution to the burning problem drew a total
response in all the seven North-Eastern States.
Justice BK Sarma of the Gauhati
High Court in a judgment issued on April 21, 2011 too had said, “…in most of
the cases, the declared foreigners have done the act of vanishing and the state
administration is without any clue of their whereabouts. In various reports, it
has been stated by the State administration that vigorous attempts have been
made to nab them, but they could not be traced out. Thus, there is total
failure of the State administration to nab the foreign nationals, who after
invoking the writ jurisdiction of this Court, do the act of vanishing.”
In the same judgment, the court
further instructed the state administration to detain suspected foreigners in
detention camps so that with the closure of the proceedings and depending upon
the outcome thereof, they can be deported to Bangladesh.
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