9 ‘Bangladeshi’ labourers held

.
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Six labourers, believed to be Bangladeshi nationals, were held by members of Arphewmer Circle of Ribhoi Youth Federation (RBYF) at Arphewmer on Sunday.

RBYF activists detected the suspected illegal migrants at Wahlang Petrol Pump at around 5:30 pm when they were about to board a vehicle bound for Shillong. They were later handed over to police manning the Infiltration Checkgate, Byrnihat.

RBYF's Arphewmer Circle president Liander Nongshli told The Shillong Times that the six suspected foreign nationals had tried to mislead the Federation saying they wanted to go to Nongpoh but confessed later that they were supposed to be engaged in building construction work in Shillong by a contractor known as Munin Marak.

Claiming that the labourers had failed to produce valid documents to prove their identity, the RBYF leader strongly criticised certain people, especially contractors, for bringing people from outside the State to employ them as labourers.

In another incident, three suspected Bangladeshi nationals were also held by public at Laban on Sunday. They were handed over to police. source: the shillong times

BJP flays Centre over influx problem

Kalyan Barooah
BENGALURU, Sept 12 – The battle lines have been drawn, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) taking stock of its election preparedness, even as the party’s national president, Rajnath Singh, today described Union Minister, Ram Vilas Paswan’s demand to grant citizenship to illegal Bangladeshi migrants as a kind of ‘treason’. The three-day national conference being held in a State, where BJP captured power for the first time, marking its maiden entry into the South has been organised on a grand scale. The entire city has been given a festive look, with the party painting the high-tech city saffron. All the streets leading to the venue Late Jagannathrao Joshi Sabhagar at Residency Road have been covered with saffron and green.

The event inaugurated by BJP national president, this morning precisely at the moment, as suggested by astrologers, is being attended by around 240 delegates, including seven BJP chief ministers. BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, LK Advani and top national leaders were also in attendance. The North Eastern States too have a strong representation. Assam BJP delegation is led by its State chief, Ramen Deka.

The second half of the first day was reserved for reports from the States. Tomorrow, a rally is being organised, which would be preceded by discussions on the socio-political situation. Formal resolutions are scheduled to be passed covering a whole gamut of issues ranging from internal security situation to inflation and foreign policy.

Sensing the belligerent mood among the party cadres, the national president lost no time in mounting a vitriolic attack on the ruling UPA Government at the Centre. Though the issues he raised were not new, he sought to put new life into the party’s war cry.

His 24-page address that dealt with all vital issues also had a brief para on the North-east. He made brief references to issues like the illegal migration from Bangladesh and floods in Assam and revival of the river linking project. He did not forget to sympathise with Monica Devi, describing her dismissal as ‘not a wise’ decision.

“Many north eastern states are victims of the shortsighted policies of the Congress. In addition to not trying to resolve the Bangladeshi problem in Assam, the Central Government is not able to take any effective steps for improving the conditions in Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland,” he said.

“We are part of the coalition governments in both Meghalaya and Nagaland. The NE States account for a total of 26 Lok Sabha seats. Given the misrule of the Congress in the other states of the region, I am hopeful, that in cooperation with the various political parties there, we would be able to perform well,” he said.

“It is unfortunate that the issue of national security on which there used to be consensus among all the political parties in India, has today also become an element of vote bank politics. While some ministers in this government are trying to define SIMI as a cultural organization, there are others who favour granting citizenship to Bangladeshi infiltrators,” Singh said.

In context of the decision of the Supreme Court, in the IM DT case verdict, if a Cabinet minister of this government speaks in favour of granting citizenship to Bangladeshi infiltrators, in a sense should it not be considered a kind of treason? he asserted.

“On the principle of the collective responsibility of the Cabinet, I would like to ask the government on behalf of the people of this country, that if it is dissociating itself from this statement of its own cabinet minister, then why should this minister not be immediately dismissed from the Cabinet? And if it is in agreement with this statement, then should not actions be taken against the entire government in the light of the Supreme Court’s verdict? he asked.

The Central Government has been blinded by the vote bank politics to such an extent, that it does not want to even acknowledge terrorists. Today, the manner in which the centres of terrorism are being operated from across the border, definitely and clearly reflects the failure of the government foreign policy.

The approach of the government with regard to China has been very slack and weak. China has tried to create a border dispute even in undisputed areas such as Sikkim. Ever since the UPA has come to power, China has been continuously exerting pressure on India. The Indian government appears incapable of offering tough resistance on this front, he said.

The kind of construction activity that China is undertaking in the Himalayan region and Tibet, could adversely impact the environment. India would definitely be affected by this. But the Indian government is not being able to even raise the issue.

“The Prime Minister is slated to visit China in the coming month of October. I demand that the issue of environment of the Himalayan region should be raised by the Prime Minister during his tour to China.”

Now even the Bangladesh Government has accepted the fact that terrorist camps are operating on its soil and Bangladesh Rifles has assured the Border Security Force of cooperation in this regard. Despite this, the government is not being able to take any stringent measures against the terrorist camps in Bangladesh, charged the BJP president. source: assam tribune

Muslim intellectuals seek ouster of aliens as per process of law

.

Correspondent
KALGACHIA, Sept 7 – Various sections of people and minority bodies have alleged that organisations like AASU, AJYCP, ABVP, BJP Yuba Morcha, etc., are harassing genuine Indian citizens in the name of tracing illegal Bangladeshi nationals, especially after the one-bench judge of Gauhati HC passed a verdict in regard to illegal migrants.

In this regard, a section of intellectuals and alert citizens belonging to minority community’s Goria Moria-Deshi, Ujani, indigenous Muslims and Purba Bangiya Origin have expressed their views and reactions. Soyada Meherunnissa Begum, Professor at Naha Jyoti College said that the government should take the responsibility to deport the illegal infiltrators after identifying them as per law. The action of a section of people, who took the law into their hands and harassing the genuine Indians is unacceptable, he said.

Dr MS Sheikh of the same college said that all sections of people have welcomed the process of detecting foreigners accepting March 25 of 1971 as the cut-off year. The people who are being harassed as Bangladeshis at different places in the State are the wretched (ill-fated) Assamese citizens displaced by river-erosion, he said. He also favoured the formation of a common citizens’ platform for increasing awareness among the people so that foreigners can be deported legally and unanimously.

Reacting to the matter, M Mozammel Hussain, ex-APSC member and educationist said that the supporters of some organisations harassing Indian citizens as Bangladeshis by taking law in their hand is quite deplorable. He said he does not want to have a single foreign national in the State who came after March 25, 1971. He also advocated finding out a way to solve the foreigners issue by holding peaceful discussions among AASU, AAMSU and other organisations, but not by unruly agitation.

According to Abdus Sattar Ahmed, ex-principal of NJ College, identification and deportation of foreigners should be done on basis of the established law of the land. Solution of the problem is possible only when the minority people are taken into confidence.

Prof Kayun Kabir, Head of the Dept of Chemistry, observed that the erosion-hit and flood-affected people living in the riverine areas of the Brahmaputra and Beki usually go to Upper Assam in quest of livelihood. By seizing and handing over these people to the police only on the basis of their physical appearance and dress, a kind of undemocratic tradition is being enhanced in the State. He also said that besides sealing the Indo-Bangla border and updating NRC, all sections of wise people who believe in democracy and secularism should collectively try to find out a permanent solution of the problem. He blamed the BSF for Bangladeshi infiltration.

According to Prof Gafur Dewan, foreigners issue is nothing but the outcome of political conspiracy; political leaders are more interested to keep it alive for vote-bank politics than to solve it permanently. SOURCE: ASSAM TRIBUNE

AGP may move SC over Govt inaction

NEW DELHI, July 12 – Accusing the Congress-led Central and Assam Governments of disregarding the Supreme Court's verdict on detection and deportation of illegal migrants, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today said that they are looking at the option of moving the Apex Court, alleging non-implementation of its orders. Addressing a press conference here today, to mark the completion of three years of the historic order of repealing the controversial IM (DT) Act, AGP MPs Biren Baishya, Sarbananda Sonowal and Kumar Deepak Das today slammed the Congress Government both at the Centre and the State for indulging in vote bank politics.The Government is yet to start the process of identification of the foreigners and the tribunals are yet to function. The updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) is not yet ready. The Home Ministry has failed to keep its own deadline of sealing the Indo-Bangladesh border by December 2006, said Sonowal, who was the main petitioner, on whose plea the Act was scrapped.He said he was going to consult senior legal counsel, Ashok Desai on moving the Supreme Court yet again pleading that the Government, despite lapse of three years, has not carried out its orders.The AGP leaders conceded that not much impact has been made by the repeal of the IM (DT) Act because of the Congress Party's attitude. The State Government has not taken any steps to implement the orders in toto, he alleged. Added Deepak Das, the Congress Party has disregarded the Accord signed during Rajiv Gandhi's regime. Unabated influx is still on and along with migrants, fundamentalist elements are also infiltrating. Assam today has as many as 14 fundamentalist outfits, he added.Though the foreigners' issue has always assumed centre stage in every election, Biren Baishya said raking the issue would not have any impact on its relations with the AUDF. The BJP has already made its intensions clear by declaring that the Bangladeshi immigration problem was going to be one of their major election planks."All political parties have agreed that March 25, 1971 is the cut-off date and any foreigners who has entered the State after that have to go. There should be no dispute over the Assam Accord," Baishya said, mindful that his Party is also talking to AUDF.Asked about the AGP's strategy for the forthcoming polls, he said it would be endeavour of his Party to ensure that all the anti-Congress votes are intact.The AGP, meanwhile, has declared that they are vote against the UPA Government and the nuclear agreement in the Lok Sabha during the Confidence Motion. source: assam tribune

ULFA ceasefire

ULFA ceasefire

The unilateral declaration of ceasefire by ULFA leader Mrinal Hazarika involving A and C company of dreaded 28th Battalion responsible for many terrorist crimes in the Upper Assam region may give a respite to the security forces engaged in counter terrorism operation and satisfaction in the Unified Command structure headed by the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi for engineering an open revolt against Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and the ULFA Commander in Chief. Paresh Baruah.ln his press conference from his secret hide out, Mrinal Hazarika lashed out at the ULFA leadership for ignoring the threat of ethnic population being reduced to minority in course of tume due to influx of illegal migrants and their reluctance to come forward for direct talks with the central government. He once again appealed to the top leadership to come forward for talks without conditions in the interest of Assam. Both Chairman Rajkhowa and C in C Paresh Baruah rejected his appeal and termed the ceasefire declaration void. This is for the first time that an armed battalion of ULFA had openly revolted. Earlier large number of ULFA cadres have surrendered with weapons and joined the main stream. These included many top leaders of ULFA but the top leadership remained indifferent and continued their one point programme of killing innocent lives in the name of armed struggle for a “sovereign socialist Assam”. It is unlikely that under protective custody of ISI and Director General of Field Intelligence, Bangladesh ULFA Chairman Rajkhowa and C-in-C Paresh Baruah would make any move for direct talks with the central government. The best course for those disillusioned by the prolonged armed struggle would have been to surrender with their arms to the authorities and remain in designated camps. Mrinal Hazarika also reiterated that they have not signed any formal cease fire agreement. By his action he has created an alternative centre of power and clashes and internecine war between rival centers of power would be inevitable. In such a situation police and security forces would have to act and it would not be possible to spare the A and C company personnel. The situation may develop like the rivalry between the NCSN(IM) and NSCN(K) in Nagaland where between 2003 and 2007, in spite of the cease fire declaration by both the groups, more then 200 militants lost their lives. source: assam tribune editorial 29.06.08