Assam: Amid eviction drives, vigilante groups spread in search of suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants

Guwahati: With the Assam government unleashing a series of eviction drives, vigilantes’ groups have spread across Upper Assam in search of suspected illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. These groups are checking if their respective areas have suspected immigrants.

In the last four and half year’s series of eviction drives were launched by the BJP led government. However recently there have been back-to-back eviction drives evicting as many 50,000 families. There is growing concern that evicted people might shift to new locations in the area itself.

This has triggered a vigilante group going to trace foreigners and raising concern among a section of people as these groups took to themselves the work of the government and law enforcement.


Organisations including Veer Lachit Sena Assam, Jatiyo Sangrami Sena Asom, Ahom Jatiyo Ganamancha, Sangrami Yuva Chatra Parishad, Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad, Anusuchit Jati Chatra Santha, and Jatiyo Sangrami Mahila Parishad are carrying out the vigilante move.

In some areas these groups are moving door to door. The vigilante group had extended full support to the state government's ongoing eviction drives against encroachers on government land. The movement of labourers from Lower Assam to Upper Assam areas are traced by the groups.

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," Saikia said.

The Congress 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.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has asked the people not to provide shelter to the evicted people, saying the government wants them to go back to their original place.

Sarma while talking to media persons on Monday said, “People have become aware, and we wish that people do not provide shelter to such evicted people for this will vitiate the atmosphere. These evicted people must go back to the place from where they came, we do not have a problem with that.”

He added, “If people co-operate the way they are doing will be able to do a lot of work and provide security to the race.”

Assam Accord inked after six yearlong foreigners’ movement (1979-1985) provides that foreigners who entered the state after the cut-off date of March 24, 1971, irrespective of their religious affiliation must be deported.