It has been reported that the Government of India is sitting over a crucial report by an officer of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) on the problem of illegal migration of Bangladeshi nationals to India. The lack of concern being demonstrated by New Delhi towards the northeast region is worrying and at the same time baffling. This is despite the fact that the report also highlighted that such kind of migration can create an environment which is politically sensitive and can make the North East region vulnerable from the security point of view. RN Ravi, who recently retired as Special Director of the IB, carried out the study on illegal migration to Assam and Nagaland when he was posted as Joint Director of the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in Guwahati in 2006. According to news report, the gist of the report was submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) immediately. But unfortunately, the Government is still sitting over the report without initiating any action on the same.
It is quite interesting to note the lethargy shown by our government—whether at the Centre or in the States—when it comes to addressing the influx of illegal immigrants. It stands to reason therefore that what is needed is a people’s movement to clamp down against illegal immigrants. We simply cannot risk relying on the inefficiency of our government system and the insensitivity of the political class. In fact in Nagaland also, a few years back the Ao Students Conference (AKM) had even alerted the State Director General of Police on the threat posed by illegal migrants. Has anything worthwhile been done by the government machinery? Not really and it is only when civil society especially the student and youth organizations undertake verification drive, the government actually wakes up to tell others not to infringe into what they are not legally authorized to do and then only to slumber back into indifference. So in fact the incompetence of our governments is best reflected in the way non-state actors such as the student bodies here in Nagaland have been conducting verification drives of non-locals. And the reason for this is not too far to seek given that people are losing faith in the government to deliver justice while on the other hand the government has itself become almost defunct.
Actually it’s quite interesting that while the government machinery in unconcern about such things as checking illegal immigrants, the complete silence of the political leaders including the political parties in our State of Nagaland is almost a conspiracy deserving the strongest condemnation. At least the political people are humans and it will not be wrong to say that as members of society they will also have grave concern over such a thing as invasion of illegal immigrants threatening the land, culture and identity of our people. But as politicians, why are they keeping quiet over this issue. Why is the question of illegal immigrants never an issue during election time here in Nagaland? Perhaps the indigenous people should also question our elected leaders at the time of election. We cannot wait any longer on the present status-quo. The young people should bring the discourse on illegal immigrants during election time so that we can demand accountability from those we elect.
