generations ago when the gardens
started. They did not have proper
land rights or other proofs of
domicile. Moreover, those refugees
who were poor and moved from
camp to camp after crossing the
border due to partition of India have
been living in Assam for
generations. But many of them lost
papers they were given by
authorities at that time. Rather
businessmen of western parts of
India had their papers all right.
Even some really doubtful persons
were clever enough to arrange for
their papers by graft to officials.
However by listing a large
number of the people as D-voters,
the Congress thought that it had
created a stable base in Assam.
But such unjust deals with the
chauvinists cannot buy a
permanent solution. Especially
when a party like the BJP with their
communal card is present in the
country.
The moment BJP could form a
stable government with its allies like
the TMC, it planned something new.
In 2003 it amended the Citizenship
Act. In that Amendment two very
important things were brought up.
In its Para 2(i)(b) it defined the
word “illegal migrant”. It said, “illegal
migrant means a foreigner who has
entered into India, -
1. Without a valid passport or
other travel document or authority
as may be prescribed by or under
any law in that behalf, or
2. With a valid passport or
other travel documents and such
other document as may be
prescribed by or under any law in
that behalf but remains therein
beyond permitted period of time”.
With this a problem arose
because according to the
Constitution of India “a person who
has migrated to India from the
territories now included in Pakistan
(at present Pakistan and
Bangladesh) shall be deemed to
be the citizen of India at the
September - 2018
commencement of this Constitution
where such person has so
migrated before the eighteenth day
of July 1948 and he has been
ordinarily resident in the territory
of India since the date of migration”.
Now the problem is that there
had been a continuous influx of
refugees from Pakistan (Bangla-
desh) after the partition. At some
years like 1965 or 1971 it was in
large scale. And most of them had
not crossed the border with valid
passport or travel document. So
time to time the cut off year was
extended. But no official cared for
it.
What happened after that is
known to all those who are
concerned. Youths, mostly Muslims,
working in Mumbai were packed up
and sent to West Bengal to finally
throw them out of India. Finally it
was found that the boys were from
a village Domjur in Howrah district.
This is only an example. For a few
years after that amendment, every
month two or three such incidents
involving more number of youths
went on. All of them were detected
as so called ‘illegal migrants’.
The
second
important
development is the direction to
maintain National Register of
Citizens. So far, the Registrar for
citizens was there to issue
citizenship to those who wish to
become citizens by registration. It
had its office in Delhi. Nobody took
it seriously except those who were
afraid to be marked as illegal
migrants. But for more than 90 per
cent of them it was something
unattainable to travel as far as
Delhi from remote villages of
Assam and apply for registration
with all requisite papers.
It may be noted that 2003
amendment was passed in both
houses of Parliament without any
opposition. To be true, in Rajya
Sabha the Home Minister
L.K.Advani promised to keep in
mind the problems to be faced by
Hindu migrants who have to leave
Pakistan or Bangladesh raised by
Manmohan singh, But while the Act
was finalized nothing was changed.
One must remember that Mamata
Banerjee was a central cabinet
minister at that time.
However there were protests.
Thousands of people sat at dharna
in New Delhi for more than a week.
The Congress assured to a change
in the Act. But it did not do anything.
The BJP thought that it can again
play communal card on this. So in
2016 another amendmemt was
brought which assured that Hindus,
Budhists, Jains, Parsis migrated
from Pakistan, Banladesh or
Afghanistan would not be treated
as illegal migrants. Here again is a
travesty to the religious neutrality
or secularism whatever you may
call it. All the parliamentary parties,
not only NDA allies but also all other
parties voted for it. Nobody even
questioned that what would be the
contd. on page 19
contd from page 24
Palestinian people and in support
of employees struggle on CPS,
etc.
On the second day, 1000
adivasis, peasants and workers
together with the delegates took
out an impressive rally from the
venue of GC to Kota Centre where
a public meeting was held. With red
flags flying high in the hands of
people, the peoples artistes
dancing to the beatings of drums
and in traditional kindri form in the
fore front of the rally and the
slogan raising people marching in
a disciplined manner the rally was
an inspiring scene.
The public meeting was
presided over by Com. D. Varma.
Com.S.Jhansi, Com.Ganesh
Panda, Com.Behra Shankar Rao,
Com. T. Aruna, Com.U.Mutyalu,
C.om Sreenu Naidu, Com.K.Bhanu
Murty and Com.SK.Baji and
others have addressed the
people.
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