IN an attempt to detect and deport illegal immigrants, mainly Muslims, Indian authorities have mobilised around 60,000 police and paramilitary troops in the sensitive border state of Assam — ahead of the publication of a list of citizens. Such ill-motivated scheme to ‘detect and deport illegal immigrants’ was in fact anticipated, the moment Indian PM Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took power in the eastern state of Assam for the first time last year. It vowed to act against illegal Muslim residents believed ‘to have taken away jobs from local Hindus.’
However, the move will not only potentially lead to disrupt communal harmony in Assam, but it would also invite violence. It is estimated that there are more than 2 million Muslims in Assam with their roots in Bangladesh, most of whom – were either displaced from nearby places or settled in Assam in 1947 and 1971. The apparent fear for Bangladesh could be, another exodus of refugees — forced to leave India for Bangladesh. Already the country is reeling from the unsettled and ongoing Rohingya crisis. Given the facts at hand, the risk of another influx of refugees cannot be right away cancelled out.
Needs be mentioned, when Modi’s BJP swept to power in 2014, the election was marred by sectarian violence in Assam taking lives of more than 40 people. During that campaign, Modi told illegal immigrants in states bordering Bangladesh to have their ‘bags packed’ ready to be sent home – now he appears to be on the brink to realise it. It’s clearly a bigoted and an organised scheme for destroying communal harmony and denying lawful citizen rights of Muslims in Assam. The international community must take serious note of this dangerous development in Assam and inform the Indian government – what its doing is unethical and unfair. We fear, Modi government’s latest move to oust the Muslim minority from Assam will create another manmade communal crisis in the region. Modi and his men have deliberately and frequently caused friction between Hindus and Muslim minority in India on several issues over the past three and half years. He and his government still continues to reject the minorities rights in India and unfairly treat Bangladesh on many counts. It was also proved when India abstained from supporting Bangladesh at the UN on the Rohingya crisis. He must be stopped from exercising racial prejudice and preaching communal hatred – both in and out of India.
