DIMAPUR, JUNE 8 (MExN): A day-long seminar on illegal immigrants was held at Ana-ki conference hall Dimapur on Friday with representatives of various NGOs taking part in the discussion with resource persons.
Noted journalist and former BBC Correspondent, Subir Bhaumik delivered an exhaustive talk on the issue and strongly advocated that the problem of illegal immigrant needed to be fought at the community level. According to Bhaumik, legal mechanisms can only help fight the problem but the law in itself cannot fight the issue of influx of illegal immigrants and this was why communities should come out against the issue armed with all legal apparatus. “There has to be definite people’s action,” he said.
This was the one of the three main points Bhaumik made in his talk. Another point was that the government should give maximum importance to the issue since this particular demography related to political power, economic resources and social identity. Bhaumik who edits Guwahati based daily, Seven Sister’s Post expressed surprise that Nagaland government could detect only 28 illegal immigrants in 47 years. “That itself shows how alert the government is to this problem,” he said and called for active government involvement.
Among his three points, Bhaumik recognized migration as a natural process which has to be stopped through other mechanisms.
Connecting it with the infestation of Northeast by illegal immigrants, he underscored land as the most important thing and the primary resource of a community. He said that the question of land problem must be addressed seriously as land was the symbol of the collective. He implored upon the Nagas to reflect whether they control their own land or not.
Bhaumik discouraged selling land to outside people and encouraged working in one’s own land instead of employing cheap labour. Even if they (non-locals) can’t buy land but what if they get adopted into the community, he queried.
This is why law alone cannot fight the problem and calls for community action, Bhaumik said. He spoke on the impending dangers of labourers becoming a part of the society and claiming ownership of land to the point where it will be difficult to chase them out.
He said social consciousness of the indigenous people was more important and that it was an issue which directly affected the people. He urged the people to mobilize social consciousness about the issue and create sufficient pressure on the government to act.
Bhaumik recalled his association with a former Governor of Nagaland who wrote a thick and detailed report to the Government of India about people of “doubtful origin” already increasing in the state. He wondered why political parties were not seriously taking up the issue of illegal immigrants.
Bhaumik described NE as a link region between India and Southeast Asia and also a flower garden since different people live in the region where various power games were enacted unbeknown to the NE people. He said the presence of illegal immigrants was creating enormous demographic diversity. “Diversity if managed properly will lead to understanding each other but if mismanaged can be dangerous and lead to massive conflict,” Bhaumik said.
He said NE was a fluid corridor through which many people have come but never went back. Before the arrival of British, people were migrating from East to West but after their departure the pattern changed and migration started from West to East, he said. Bhaumik also said that during the early part of 20th century, there was absolutely no resistance to migration by Assam which did not oppose entry of land hungry peasants.
Another resource person, Leonard Aier, Principal of City Law College Dimapur spoke on “Legal mechanism and other provisions to tackle influx of illegal immigrants.” He presented a compilation of various judgements of the Supreme Court recognising the dangers of illegal immigrants in the country.
Senior citizen, Hekhevi Achumi said the PAC on illegal immigrants was finding it very difficult to fight the issue due to interference from the local people who pose as a “wall.” “We are fighting with our own Nagas in fighting this problem,” he said and stressed on doing away with tribalism.
He also said inter-marriage among the Nagas and non-local people was another problem. “They (non-locals) become Nagas and are eating up the quota of the Nagas,” Hekhevi said. He said this was the number one impact of illegal immigrants upon Nagas. Further, he said illegal immigrants were doing all the works and Nagas were losing work culture and that the political sovereignty was being sold out by economic sovereignty.
Former president AKM, Aotangnok also spoke during the seminar participated by various Dimapur based NGOs.
PUBLIC RESOLUTION
After lengthy discourse, the Seminar on Illegal Immigrants passed a resolution to pursue the following:
1. The house unanimously acknowledged that the danger of the influx of illegal immigrants in the state is a reality and resolved that this menace must be tackled both by the Govt. and civil society in a concerted manner with great urgency.
2. The house in one voice resolved to render full support to the ongoing process of awareness and detection mechanism undertaken by the PAC under the aegis of Naga Council Dimapur.
3. Dimapur should be brought under the ambit of ILP zone. Issuance of ILP should be strictly monitored and loopholes detected and plugged.
4. Trade licenses should be issued only to those people who run their own businesses. Proxy TL holders should be prosecuted. Also, TLs should not be issued to persons with doubtful identity.
RTOs are requested to issue Driving licenses with outmost care as DLs are used to lay claim to Indian citizenship.
5. Outsiders should not be enrolled in the state electoral rolls unless accompanied by their electoral roll registration of their parent state. However, those enrolled in the year 1963 and before should be considered as bonafide citizens of the state.
6. Naga house owners and landowners are strongly urged not to rent their house/commercial establishments to illegal immigrants or miyas.
7. The house also resolved that the Naga Council/PAC fight against illegal immigrants should be spread to all the districts of Nagaland taking the help of all the tribal hohos, NGOs and mass based organizations.
The public resolution adopted by the house was issued by PAC convener Joel Nillo Kath.
