Dimapur, August 24 (MExN): An angry North East Students’ Organization (NESO) has squarely blamed illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and “fundamentalists” for the ongoing crisis in India and has sounded a clarion to all the peoples of the North Eastern States to work towards flushing out foreign nationals from North East Region. The NESO issued a statement today asking the NE states’ chief ministers to meet and chart a plan of action and that special safeguards to the people living outside the region through an act of Parliament is sought for.’
As a show of anger against the atrocities meted out to NE people living in mainland India and to strengthen the demand for immediate detection and deportation of all illegal immigrants form NER, the NESO will be taking out a public rally in Guwahati soon. Also a 12-hours bandh in all the other states of NE will be held on September 6 from 5:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The NESO leadership held emergency meeting in Guwahati, Assam on August 23 in the backdrop of NE people fleeing home in multitudes from mainland India as a result of atrocities and intimidations against them “by fundamentalists” in retaliation of the NE peoples’ effort to drive out the Bangladeshi illegal immigrants.
“The meeting unanimously agreed that the unabated influx of illegal immigrants has resulted in posing severe threat to the identity and existence of the people of NE.
The ongoing assault and intimidation is a result of instigation by illegal immigrants and coming from Bangladesh and other fundamentalist groups,” the NESO said in the press release issued to the Media today.
“Therefore, the NESO resolved to strengthen all the efforts and demands for the early detection and deportation of all the illegal immigrants from the soils of NE. The NESO further appeals to all the NE people living outside the region not to be cowed down by such threats and assaults but to unitedly stand together with the rest of India and fight back such anti-social elements against our people.”
Along with its declaration to fight illegal immigration from Bangladesh, the NESO has asked all the chief ministers of NE to immediately have a meeting “so as to work out a coordinated policy to respond to the threats of illegal immigrants in the NE region.” The government of India is also urged to take initiatives to “fructify this desired meeting of the NE chief ministers.” The NESO has also decided to demand for special safeguards to the people living outside the region through an act of parliament.
Further, the NESO demands that the Central government immediately arrest all foreign nationals, especially those from Bangladesh. ‘They entered India with valid travel documents and have gone missing in India within a stipulated time. Further, the NESO demands that all those foreign nationals who have been detected as illegal immigrants in NE and have gone missing should be immediately traced out and deported,’ the NESO said in its statement.
Another related issue the students’ organization broached was about rehabilitation measures for the victims of the Kokrajar, Chirang and Dhuburi conflict in Assam. Rehabilitation must be given only to the indigenous people of the said areas and that in the name of rehabilitation, no illegal foreigners should be given the opportunity, the students’ group said.
The NESO has decided to form a committee of NE peoples in every mainland Indian city where NE people reside, to ensure coordination, information sharing and take preventive safety measures against any eventualities such as atrocities and harassment.
