Over the last week, the conflict between the indigenous Bodo tribe and Muslims in Assam has led to panic in various Indian cities. On Aug.15, rumors of possible violence led several thousand people from India's northeastern region to flee Bangalore. The exodus continued over the next few days as thousands flocked to train stations in Bangalore, Chennai and Pune, while Indian leaders attempted to restore calm.
India Ink spoke with Samujjal Bhattacharya, an adviser to the All Assam Students' Union, which was founded in the late 1960s. From its inception, the group has held a hard-line position on what it describes as unchecked illegal immigration from Bangladesh into Assam. The organization is best known for leading the six-year protest known as the Assam Agitation, which led to the Assam Accord of 1985. After the Assam Agitation, the leadership of the group formed a political party called the Asom Gana Parishad, which twice won elections for the state assembly in 1985 and 1996.
In the Assam Accord, then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi pledged to put up a barrier on the border, increase patrols and create more check posts at the Indiaâ€"Bangladesh border, but these measures have not yet been implemented. President Pranab Mukherjee said recently that the agreement “may have to be reconfigured.â€
You have previously raised concerns about the emergence of fundamentalist elements, backed by Pakistan, in Assam. What role do you think the government can play to restore peace?
Despite having prior information about the Kokrajhar incident, the chief minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi, and the government of Assam didn't act properly. They failed to send in the police, paramilitary or adopt any mechanism to control the situation. Even after the incident they did not control the spread of the violence to the Sirang and Dhubri districts.
In that incident, the people who are affected are the Bodos, the Koch Rajbongshi, the Gurkhas, the adivasis and the indigenous Muslims. There is no clash between the indigenous Muslims and the Hindus. They are both being affected and must be rehabilitated. Those who are illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, who have come after 1971, should not get housing and land in the name of rehabilitation.
The Assam Accord was signed in 1985 but has yet not been implemented. If the government of India can seal the western border of the country in three years, why can't they seal the Assam sector of the India-Bangladesh border, which is merely a 272-kilometer (170-mile) stretch? Through this porous border there are illegal immigrants and fundamentalist groups gaining entry into the country.< /p>
There are now more than 40 fundamentalist groups present in Assam and the northeast. Illegal immigrants have encroached upon 49 tribal belts and blocks, forestland including Kaziranga National Park and agricultural land. Without implementing the Assam Accord, permanent peace will not prevail in Assam.
The movement of people between the India-Bangladesh border has historically always been quite fluid. Could it be that the roots of the current problem are more complex than simply an immigration issue?
Immigration is the main issue. There is a long history behind the problem that started at the partition, after which there was an influx of foreigners from Pakistan and Bangladesh into India. From 1979 to 1985, there was a six-year mass movement in Assam for which 855 sacrificed their lives and over 100 became physically handicapped. After that, the Assam Accord was signed. It goes to show that this is sentiment has broad-based support and is a burning issue.
People are trying to make it a communal problem, but it is not a Hindu-Muslim problem. Assam does not have a history of communal problems. When the Babri Masjid (an ancient mosque in Ayodhya) was destroyed, there was not one violent incident in Assam.
What can be done in the long term to ensure that there are no further violent conflicts in the state?
The government has to implement the Assam Accord in a specific time frame. We have waited for 27 years - how much longer do we have to wait? They must also ensure the sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border.
There is an urgent need to update the National Register of Citizens in Assam that was last updated in 1951. It was decided to update the register in a tripartite meeting on May 5, 2005, but it has not been updated. There is a threat in the minds of the indigenous people in Assam that they are a minority in their own homeland, which must be removed.
What is the current sentiment amongst the communit y of students from the northeast in cities across India like Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad? Is there still a lingering feeling of apprehension and fear?
We were very shocked and surprised by the situation in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. There is still this feeling of fear and insecurity in the minds of students and especially working people in these cities. We are urging the government of India to create an atmosphere so that the people of the northeast feel a sense of security. We have told our people who have yet not come back to stay where they are, you are also citizens of India, you should continue your studies and work. We must, however, express our gratitude to the people of these three states because they have extended their full support in this moment of crisis. The people of the country have stood behind the people of the northeast, and for this we are grateful.
In your opinion, what caused the situation to escalate to the level that peopl e from the northeast felt the need to leave their cities and head to their hometowns immediately?
There were two different factors â€" there was some rumor-mongering and there was some real threat that was engineered by some fundamentalist groups in some areas of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. We appealed to the people from the northeast that were there that if they face any threat they must inform the authorities.
In the future, what can be done to avoid the widespread panic that natives of the northeast experienced over the last week?
First and foremost, the fundamentalist groups involved should be given exemplary punishment so that no one tries to adopt this tactic again. Then, the concerned state governments and the central government must take some precautionary measures. They can depute nodal officers in the affected areas who people can contact in case there is a sign of trouble in the future. There should be a dedicated helpline for peop le from the northeast living in these cities and effective patrolling.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
