Guwahati: Amid the appeal of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma—not give shelter to evicted persons, the civil society organisations in Upper Assam has launched an overdrive to detect suspected illegal immigrants.
Organisations include Jatiyo Sangrami Sena Asom, Ahom Jatiyo Ganamancha, Aatasu, Sangrami Yuva Chatra Parishad, Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad, Anusuchit Jati Chatra Santha, and Jatiyo Sangrami Mahila Parishad, Are Carrying out the drive in Sivasagar District.
Extending full support to the state government’s ongoing eviction drives against encroachers on government land, these organisations demanded immediate detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi nationals.
Warning the illegal immigrants, the organisations have announced that they would intensify the drive in Upper Assam districts further during the week.
The members of these vigilante groups are going door to door to verify people who are working as labourers, staying on rents to find out who among them are suspected illegal immigrants and asking them to leave the district immediately, the locals said.
Earlier Assam chief minister while continuing his tirade against foreigners said that people should not give shelter to evicted persons, else the “position of our people”, which has improved through evictions and other measures, will become “bad again”.
He asserted that the government will continue with its anti-encroachment drives to protect the ‘jati’ (community) if people continue to cooperate with it.
“Our people are conscious now. I don’t think they will cooperate a lot,” Mr Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of programmes in Bodoland territorial Region (BTR) when asked if the evicted people will settle down in other parts of the state.
Meanwhile, both the ruling BJP and the main opposition congress have started targeting each other over this growing vigilantism in Upper Assam.
Leader of the Opposition and Congress MLA Debabrata Saikia accused the BJP of communalising the issue for political gain. He claimed that the eviction drives are targeting even indigenous people and that terms like “suspected foreigners” are being misused to harass minorities.
“In the name of evicting illegal immigrants, they are targeting poor Indian citizens from minority communities. This is nothing but a diversionary tactic to hide governance failures,” said Mr Saikia.
The Congress leader further challenged the BJP to release data on how many illegal immigrants have actually been deported over the past nine years. “Instead of real action, the government is creating a climate of fear and communal tension,” he added.
