After Assam, illegal influx raises hackles in Meghalaya, Manipur

GUWAHATI: There is a great deal of discomfort in Northeast India on the issue of illegal influx of immigrants. While in Assam there is an engaging debate on the definition of Assamese, in neighbouring Meghalaya the issue of dubious voters has seen the influential Khasi student organisation stopping the enrollment drive for the electoral rolls.
In Manipur, the ruling Congress government and NGOs are at loggerheads over the tenant bill issue. NGOs and the opposition Manipur People's Party (MPP) is demanding implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in Manipur.

In Assam, following the Supreme Court's directive, the work of updating National Register of Citizens (NRC) is underway. In 2010, pilot project of updating the NRC in Barpeta and Chaygaon revenue circles was called off abruptly after four persons were killed and over several others injured in violent protest in Barpeta town.

Recently, the speaker of Assam's legislative assembly, Pranab Kumar Gogoi, after consultation 50 organisations belonging to different ethnic groups, defined who can be called an Assamese, which was opposed by ruling Congress and opposition All India United Democratic Front.

Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, signed in 1985 after a six-year long student's agitation over the issue of illegal immigrants, provides for constitutional safeguard to Assamese people. Te government sought definition of Assamese to implement this clause.

However, there were allegations that the speaker did not consult political parties and several organizations, including those representing the Hindi-speaking people. Sensing political turmoil over the issue, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that he cannot accept the definition as political parties were not consulted.

In Meghalaya, the Khasi Students' Union recently tried to stop the enrollment drive for the electoral rolls at the premises of the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner's office. KSU activists wanted to close down the Public Facilitation Centre (PFC) to stop enrollment of what they termed as `dubious' voters.

"There are several people who are bringing documents from Karimganj, Hailakandi, Dhubri in Assam. It is difficult to prove that those who come to work here are genuine Indians because they cannot provide proper documentation," KSU stated.

In Manipur, NGOs have rejected the Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers (MRVT & MW) Bill 2015, which was passed by the state assembly recently. MPP president N Sovakiran said, "We demand immediate withdrawal of the MRVT & MW Bill, as it does not address the issues of the indigenous people in the backdrop of the large-scale influx of migrants into the state."

MPP demanded implementation of a regulation to control the inflow of illegal migrants as is done in other states like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.