Assam's Citizenship Crisis: Illegal Infiltration, Part 1

The Identity Crisis in Assam

Work is currently underway in Assam on the second and complete draft of the National Register of Citizens. Those whose names are not included in the National Register of Citizens will be deemed illegal immigrants. When the first draft of the National Register of Citizens was published, the people of Assam rushed in droves to ascertain their citizenship status. Tension gripped Assam. In the first draft, out of 3.29 crore applications, only 1.9 crore individuals were legally recognized as Indians. The question arose as to who the 2.20 crore people were and that they were usurping the rights and amenities of the people there. Now, as people await the second draft, anxiety has begun to mount once again.

Following the release of the first list, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal pacified the public by stating that no one needed to panic over the citizenship register. Additional documents would be scrutinized, and following verification, the remaining names would also be included in the register. There have also been instances where even individuals holding sensitive offices were unable to prove their citizenship. On the other hand, the Assam Police faced public embarrassment for serving erroneous notices demanding proof of citizenship. The first list also omitted the names of two Members of Parliament from Assam. One of these MPs is Badruddin Ajmal, who commands substantial influence in the state's politics. The second draft of the National Register of Citizens poses a formidable challenge for the first-ever BJP government in Assam. Identifying Bangladeshis and others residing illegally in Assam is an imperative for the state, yet injustice must not be meted out to anyone. The electorate entrusted power to the BJP precisely so that this intricate crisis could be resolved.

The Issue First Heated Up in 1979

The issue of citizenship and Bangladeshi Muslims began to surface politically in Assam as far back as 1979. The problem of insurgency in Assam originated alongside the identity crisis of the Assamese people, when massive numbers of refugees began migrating into Assam from the then East Pakistan during the Partition of India. Although half a century has passed since, the influx of migrants arriving in India from Bangladesh has not abated, and this predicament has fundamentally altered the demographic landscape of the entire Northeast. Discontent over this infiltration gradually escalated in Assam, culminating in July 1979 in an agitation spearheaded by the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP). These agitators demanded the expulsion of all outsiders residing in Assam; in defining these outsiders, they advocated that anyone arriving after 1951 be placed in this category. It was over this very definition that sharp differences arose between the Government of India and the agitators, leading to the collapse of negotiations.

The Emergence of the Militant Outfit ULFA

The Government of India was willing to categorize only those who arrived after 1971 as outsiders, a proposition that failed to satisfy the agitators. After talks broke down, the agitators abandoned the path of peace, and the movement took a violent turn. To maintain law and order in the state, the central government was compelled to impose President’s Rule in December of that year. Amidst this turmoil, the United Liberation Front of Asom, or ULFA, was founded in Sivasagar on 7 April 1979. Paresh Baruah served as the outfit's president, Arabinda Rajkhowa as its chairman, and Anup Chetia assumed responsibilities as general secretary. Pradip Gogoi was elected vice-president of the organization and has remained incarcerated since 8 April 1998. The primary objective of this outfit was to rid Assam of outsiders and establish a sovereign Assam. It eventually usurped control over AASU and the Assam Gana Sangram Parishad.

The outfit believed in achieving its ends through terrorism. The vitiation of the democratic environment following the arming of state police, the military, and other security forces with quasi-judicial powers acted as a catalyst in fostering secessionism among ordinary Assamese and, particularly, armed separatism among Assamese youth (*Secessionist Insurgency and the Freedom of Minds*). To maintain peace and contain ULFA, the army was deployed on 28 March 1980, which only deepened public resentment. Taking matters a step further, the government declared the entirety of Assam—with the exception of Cachar and the North Cachar region—a "disturbed area" under the Assam Disturbed Areas Act, 1955. On 6 April 1980, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) was enforced, which subsequently became a subject of bitter controversy. Time and again, Assam was bloodied, yet the identity crisis of the Assamese people remained unresolved. I shall take up the rest of this discussion in tomorrow's article. To be continued...

Read Further -

The Complete Story of the Citizenship Crisis Created by Illegal Infiltration in Assam, Part-2

The Complete Story of the Citizenship Crisis Created by Illegal Infiltration in Assam, Part-3

The Complete Story of the Citizenship Crisis Created by Illegal Infiltration in Assam, Part-4

– Manish Prakash, The author is a political analyst and writes on matters of national significance.

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