India & Bangladesh - Migration Matrix-
Reactive and not Proactive
by Jyoti M. Pathania
“The massive illegal immigration poses a grave danger
to our security, social harmony and economic well-being.
We have compromised on all these aspects so far. It is time to say
enough is enough.” Recommendation of National Security System, Feb. 2001.
“ The long cherished design of Greater Bangladesh,
making inroads into the strategic land link of Assam with the rest of
India, can lead to severing the entire land mass of North East from the
rest of the country” Lt. Gen S.K. Sinha Report Mar. 1998.
These are serious statements and the time has come for
the Government in India to make an overall review of the
problem, particularly from the security point of view.
The problem
:
The problem of illegal immigration has been a recurring
phenomenon ever since the formation of Bangladesh in 1971.
It is only recently when the volume of illegal immigrants has
reached alarming limits that in spite of repeated protests to that country,
no appreciable sensitivity has been shown by Bangladesh causing the bilateral relations between the two (SAARC) countries
to become waspish,
strained and suspicious. The
immigrants cross over to this country mainly on economic reasons and due
to religious oppression of minorities (Hindus) from this Islamic country.
Local politicians got an opportunity to strengthen their vote banks by
sympathizing with these so called migrants for their short term gains
ignoring the long term damage that would be caused to the already poverty
stricken country. Indian Governments during their successive tenures also
turned a blind eye to this brewing up problem which ultimately was eating
up into its resources, employment opportunities, health, literacy
and above all also acting as a
SECURITY THREAT.
The Reason:
While analyzing the reasons why a sort of continuous
slow exodus is taking place from Bangladesh to India, it may be seen that
the main causes are:
* Basic need theory i.e. food,
shelter and clothing.
* Economic dictates i.e.
employment opportunity, better wages and comparatively better living
conditions.
* Demographic disproportion
especially for minorities (Hindus) in this densely populated country
having roughly a density of 780 per sq km as against half that number on
Indian side of the border.
*
Being cheap labor the Bangladeshis find easy acceptance as “domestic
helps” in Indian homes, which keeps proliferating by ever increasing
demand for domestic helps.
Problems faced by India while dealing with illegal
migrants:
* Security personnel have no coherent system to deal with
massive flow of Bangladesh migrants, so much so their arrest and
prosecution is also rare. An incident can be stated here to prove this
point. Ranbir Singh Pura Sep 2002, border
Security officials (BSF) handed over
162 Bangladeshi illegal immigrants to the local police. The police
refused to arrest them because the local police station had no space to
house so many people.
* Dual immigration laws
followed in India; The illegal migrants (determination by Tribunal) Act
1983 is followed in Assam and the Foreigners Act 1946 is for the rest of the country.
* Research and Analysis Wing
(RAW) has also given its assessment stating that some Bangladeshis are
being trained as saboteurs in Pakistan, acting as a security threat.
* Another difficulty is the
riverine terrain of the border area, which makes fencing difficult and poor border management policy
* Despite the border agreement
signed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Sheik Mujibur
Rahman. 40.6 Km still remains undemarcated and another 6.5 km is still
disputed.
* Bangladeshi migrants fulfill
the technical requirements of an Indian citizen by possessing voter’s
identity card, ration card, putting the local authorities on a fix.
* Further problem exists
because the migrants have settled down permanently, encroached lands and are
enjoying the rights of natural citizens.
Bangladesh Migrants Present In various States
|
Numbers in million
|
States
|
|
5.4
|
West Bengal
|
|
4
|
Assam
|
|
0.5
|
Bihar
|
|
1.5
|
Delhi
|
|
0.8
|
Tripura
|
|
0.5
|
Rajasthan
|
|
0.5
|
Maharashtra
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Key Immigration routes for the Bangladeshis
- Malda
- Siliguri
- Murshidabad
- Dinajpur
Courtesy Sinha report
Advantages of Migration for the Bangladeshis:
* About 15 billion dollars
are earned annually by Bangladesh migrants hence it’s a great boost to
the country’s GDP.
* Dhaka will have less population to feed if the
exodus of people to India and Pakistan continues. BSF argues that
Bangladesh intentionally allows its national to migrate to overcome the
problem of population explosion.
* Thriving leather and
processed meat industry success due to the cattle smuggling from India,
wherein Indian cattle are bought at throw away prices and the
finished product is exported to the Middle East at almost 3-4 times the
cost price. One figure estimates about .5 million dollar worth cattle heads
per month from West Bengal are smuggled into Bangladesh.
* A considerable number of
laid off workers from Bangladesh Jute Industry have sought haven by
joining hands with the illegal traders in the cattle industry, if they leave it
now it will be a
big loss for them.
* Porous border allows for
smuggling of large quantities in cash and kind.
Measures taken by the
Indian Government: Some recent developments
* 23 Jan
2003, A two day meeting of India- Bangladesh Joint working group was held
in Dhaka to discuss and India conveyed its concern over the presence of
illegal Bangladeshis residing in India.
* 14 Feb
2003, India invited the Bangladesh foreign minister Morshed Khan to meet
his counterpart Yashwant Sinha to discuss ways to defuse tension over the
illegal immigration issue.
* Indian
Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani has urged Bangladesh to take back" Illegal Immigrants" numbering about 15 million
from India. Advani is in
the forefront for the deportation drive.
* 17 Feb.
2003, President APJ Abdul Kalam voicing his concern over the problem at
the joint sitting of parliament said “ the problem of illegal migration
from Bangladesh has assumed serious proportions and affects many states.
The government is determined to take all necessary steps to check this
problem”.
* Foreign
Secretaries are to meet in the first week of April in Dhaka to discuss
this issue.
*
Government has decided to complete fencing of the border by 2007, and install
neon lights and reduce the distance among watch towers.
* Goverment has
also decided to issue National identity card scheme to help track down
foreign nationals who pose a security risk.
* A separate
division on border management has been created in the union home ministry
for focused attention on border related issue.
* The
government has sanctioned Rs. 435 crores to the BSF for
modernization of its communication network.
*
Deployment of high tech electronic surveillance equipment on the border.
* Formation
of a state level standing committee and task force by the border states
having coastline.
Effects Of Illegal Immigration on
India:
* Increase in
crime rate and other subversive activities: There has been 20% increase in
crime, mainly burglary. Figures show that robbery in the Kolkata suburbs,
mostly committed by Bangladeshis (Pioneer 9 Feb 2002).
In Bihar 19-20 lakh Bangladeshi nationals have settled down in 4
districts of Purnea, Katihar, Araria
and Kishenganj and these districts have become the strongholds of
cross-border smugglers and arms mafia.
In Punjab recently Bangladeshis were caught up in the organ trade
scandal.
* Security
threat: Sinha report talks specifically of the disastrous security
implications on India. The spectre looms large of the indigenous people of
Assam being reduced to a minority in their home state,
Balbir K Punj is of the opinion that the infiltration activities
has assumed a scary significance in the light of the present “low key
Talibanisation “ of Bangladesh.
*
Spurt in terrorist organizations: Since 1990 Assam has seen the
birth of 9 Muslim militant outfits owing allegiance to Harkat ul
Mujaheedin and Lashkar-e-Toiba.
* Demographic
and economic threat: drain on our resources. 85% of the total
encroached forest land in Assam was found to be in the hands of the
Bangladeshi migrants, and 43 of the 126 assembly constituencies in
Assam are their stronghold.
* Cheap
labor: these migrants are absorbed as cheap laborers in Kolkata and Delhi,
Punjab and Mumbai providing cheap labor in contrast to their Indian
counterpart.
*Indian
government
is very poorly equipped in terms of available data, legislative measures
etc to sustain flush out operations for a long period of time.
Bangladesh government migration laws- lacunae:
* The immigration law
ordinance of 1982 is the basic migration law of Bangladesh
specifying rules and regulations for migrant workers and setting
a recruiting fees.
* The government has now started
playing an active role in the migration process in contrast to passive
role in the 60’s. The
Bangladesh Bureau of manpower Employment and training (BMET) established
in 1976 oversees monitoring the flow of overseas migration.
* The lacunae being that the
government has no comprehensive scheme for the returning migrants.
* The whole process of rules
and regulations set up by BMET is arduous and time consuming.
* Recruitment fees to be
paid to BMET is very high and not payable by the poor , who end up selling
their land and houses for payment of the fees.
Suggestions to the problem:
* Temporary
work permits to be given to the migrants on humanitarian grounds.
* Fencing of
the complete border.
* Resume
serious
dialogue to demarcate the undemarcated border.
* Put an end
to smuggling and cattle trade.
*
Clear direction to be given to the BSF to stop further infiltration.
* Amendment
of the IMDT Act and enforcing of the Foreigners Act 1946.
* MEA should
take serious notice of this problem.
* Systematic, concrete
and time bound plan to drive out the illegal migrants.
* The problem
to be seen in a wider perspective, not only as a
humanitarian problem
Conclusion:
It is high time that the Indian government
had a proactive policy rather than a reactive policy to this issue.
The need of the hour is to understand that it is no longer a humanitarian
problem but a security problem which has become a hydra headed monster. Time has come to deal with it assertively
but without hampering bilateral relations. It is time for both countries to understand the seriousness of the issue and set up time bound
measures once and for all. This will help in its final solution and the
problem will not emerge cyclically as it often does.
