Similarities - Illegal Immigration in the Assam /West Bengal and the United States

If there exists something called a sister state concept, the border states of the USA bordering Mexico and the states in India bordering Bangladesh would partner very well. The United States has the strong will and moderate monetary means to check illegal immigration, but India lacks the former, and the corrupt politicians rarely would let the green pass for immigration reforms and border security upgrades.

The story is nothing new, just that the impacts that are overwhelming to be seen in any border district in Assam and parts of West Bengal now. The illegal immigrants have swarmed the semi urban landscape and the murky waters of society in the North East. The rickshaw pullers, auto drivers, vegetable market laborers, bus/truck drivers, daily wage workers are mostly immigrants from Bangladesh. The society is bubbling with desperation in the hands of the lame duck politicians.

There is something called the BPL(Below Poverty Line) card given by the government of India to all who can prove that they are poor. Now the Bangladeshi illegal immigrants come over to India and assimilate in the local population. After few months of lying low and acquiring forged date of birth documents, they apply for the BPL card and migrate towards the larger towns and cities. Reports suggest that either the politicians or the local administration turns a blind eye, or some goon associated to political parties use these illegal immigrants are pawns during the local and parliamentary elections eventually by promising them the Indian passports and avenues for low level jobs and daily wage work.

Once the illegal immigrants have the BPL card, agenda numero uno is successful. Next is to enroll to the Jawahar Rojgar Yojana or the like, so that Rs 100.00 income is guaranteed per day. That is enough to feed 3 people at-least 2-3 days in rural India.

Same as in the United States, the workers from Bangladesh do the menial jobs at a cheaper rate than the locals. It is not that the local population did not do those jobs, but in this scenario different than in the US, the illegal immigrant population swept the rug under the feet economically.

The percentage growth in population also indicates to cross border infiltration since the last census. The states of West Bengal and Assam have seen a considerable jump in the people from Bangladeshi descent, almost all in the lowest economic strata of the Indian society. The impact is clear in the local markets where the people speak a strange dialect not accustomed to the local or nearby populations. Almost all are Muslims. With the BPL card in hand, these immigrants get access to free medical care in hospitals and local health centers. The patients that come to the local health centers cannot speak Assamese, neither the local Bengali dialects which is common. Yet there is no impartial treatment.

Check out http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/sep/13swadas.htm. Some excerpts: In the 11 districts that comprise the former composite border districts of Goalpara, Kamrup, Darrang and Nagaon, the Muslim population has grown from 32.42 percent in 1951 to 40.37 percent in 2001. In Assam as a whole, the Muslim population rose from 24.68 percent in 1951 to 30.90 percent in 2001. There are now six districts in Assam that are Muslim majority. In 1951, there were none!

So now it is to be seen how the demographics have changed in the last 10 yrs. If the centre whole heartedly does not instill economic growth, it should at least upgrade the border security infrastructure by implementing new technology, and increase the man power along the highly porous border so that the citizens are secure.

My fear is that if this illegal immigration is not checked in the border states, we will be in a deep social swamp, and coming out of it would have to be another costly experiment. We already have our hands full with the numerous groups and factions in the North east India that from time to time spread anti national messages, and display secessionist ideologies. Wake up Indian “leaders” (read politicians)!