Understanding West Bengal politics The Partition – 1905 and the Reunification – 1911

Going through daily tweets and Facebook posts we found lots of youths have started taking interest in politics of West Bengal. Which was just the opposite a decade back. That’s really great , maybe we are reading few of our future Chief Minister’s tweet or Facebook post daily! Or maybe a future Prime Minister’s!! People from other parts of our country are equally interested to know about political development in West Bengal. To understand the present status, we need to look back. While looking back we found few topics which are a must-know for all of us. These incidents in History of Bengal have a huge impact on the present political scenario of West Bengal.

We shortlisted few of those past incidents which till date influence West Bengal politics. They are

                           1.   Partition of Bengal – 1905

                           2.   Reunification of Bengal – 1911

                           3.   Partition of Bengal – 1947 (Formation of East Pakistan)   

                           4.   1971 Indo-Pak War (formation of Bangladesh)

Covering all four topics in one article/ blog will be too long and the reader might lose interest reading it in today’s world of hectic schedules. So we will try to cover all the four shortlisted historical events in two to three blogs with same headline and different titles.

Partition of Bengal – 1905

Partition of Bengal, (1905), division of Bengal carried out by the British viceroy in India,

Lord Curzon, despite strong Indian nationalist opposition. The partition took place on 16 October 1905 and separated the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western areas. The government announced the idea of partition in January 1904. The idea was opposed by Henry John Stedman Cotton, Chief Commissioner of Assam 1896-1902.It began a transformation of the Indian National Congress from a middle-class pressure group into a nationwide mass movement.

According to the British, partition was carried out mainly for the convenience of administration. Bengal in those days was the biggest province of India with huge population. It was comprised of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa and was under the control of one lieutenant Governor. After Lord Curzon took charge as Governor General of India the discussion over the Partition began due to the following issues:

Area of the Province: Bengal was as large as France. It was spread over the area of 1,89,000 square miles with the population of 80 million, which was too enormous one   to be managed by one lieutenant Governor. He could not make a tour of the whole province due to its enormity once during his tenure.

2.    Communication: Communication in the provinces was limited due to rivers and forests. The law and order condition of the provinces was also worst due to insufficient police and inefficient management. Therefore the need of partition was felt severely.

3.    Language: The difference of Languages and civilization of the inhabitants of West Bengal and East Bengal. The inhabitants of West Bengal considered themselves superior in civilization to the resident of East Bengal. The Condition demanded for the division of Provinces.

4.    Need of the time: The division of Bengal was the need of the time to develop trade in East Bengal and to promote the Port of Chittagong, which could be done only by division of the Provinces.

Partition: The Partition was thus calculated to restore efficiency in the Government and administration on one hand and stimulated local creativities for progress and development on the other. Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal and formed two new provinces – East and West Bengal. East Bengal consisted of Dacca, Mamansingh, Assam, Kaula, Rangpur, and Bogra district, the Dacca was the capital of East Bengal constituted a majority Muslim Province, while the Bihar and Orissa constituted a separate province to be called as West Bengal with the capital of Calcutta and become the Hindu Majority provinces. East Bengal contained a population of 18 million Muslims and 12 million Hindus. Whereas West Bengal had a population 54 million of which 42 million were Hindus and thus was the Hindu majority province.

Actually the facts were entirely different. The opening years of the twentieth century were stormy. The political scenario was undergoing a change, and the British were beginning to feel a bit uneasy. Discontentment was developing. Political discontent was growing due to the inability of the government to organize effective relief during the period of plague and famine. In order to curtail the discontent, the British played the political trump card with great composure. For the first time, they used their divide-and-rule political game with great force. From 1870 onwards, the British started inciting the Hindus and the Muslims to form their own political parties to establish their distinct religious identities. That was, perhaps, the beginning of the communalisation of politics. The British not only encouraged the two communities to form political parties along religious lines, they took various constructive steps to create a situation whereby Hindus and Muslims would be forced to think in a way as if their religious identity is at peril. This effort culminated in the partition of Bengal in 1905. West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar were on one side and the erstwhile East Bengal and Assam were on the other. The partition was made along communal lines. This partition provided a stimulus to the religious divide and, as a result of that, All India Muslim League and All India Hindu Mahasabha was formed. Both the organisations intended fanning communal passions.

The main reason for the Partition was purely political. The Hindus were in a better position in terms of economic status, professional qualities, etc. With the spread of Western education Hindus made a big way, but the Muslims could not. A sense of deprivation crept in. Perhaps, the sense of deprivation was engineered. When the discontentment grew in the beginning of this century, the British capitalised on this sense of deprivation. A feeling of inferiority was there. The British merely added fuel to fire. Suddenly both the communities became aware of their religious identities. The net result is the Partition of Bengal.

The following excerpts from Curzon’s letter of 2 February 1905 to St. John Brodrick, Secretary of State for India, give an idea of his aims in partitioning Bengal:

“Calcutta is the centre from which the Congress Party is manipulated throughout the whole of Bengal, and indeed the whole of India. Its best wire pullers and its most frothy orators all reside here. The perfection of their machinery and the tyranny which it enables them to exercise are truly remarkable. They dominate public opinion in Calcutta; they affect the High Court; they frighten the local Government, and they are sometimes not without serious influence on the Government of India. The whole of their activity is directed to creating an agency so powerful that they may one day be able to force a weak government to give them what they desire. Any measure in consequence that would divide the Bengali-speaking population; that would permit independent centres of activity and influence to grow up; that would dethrone Calcutta from its place as the centre of successful intrigue, or that would weaken the influence of the lawyer class, who have the entire organization in their hands, is intensely and hotly resented by them. The outcry will be loud and very fierce, but as a native gentleman said to me – ‘my countrymen always howl until a thing is settled; then they accept it’.”

Partition ignited a major political crisis along religious lines. Hindu confrontation exploded as the Indian National Congress began the Swadeshi movement that included boycotting British goods and public institutions, meetings and processions, forming committees, propaganda through the press, and diplomatic pressure. Hitherto untouched sections of Indian society participated in these movements, providing a base for later movements. Masses were educated for a bolder form of politics and colonial authority was undermined. The Muslims in East Bengal hoped that a separate region would give them more control over education and employment, hence, they opposed those movements.

The richness of the movement extended to culture, science and literature. RabindranathTagore, the famous Nobel-laureate and writer, spoke out against this political event by means of a highly inspiring poem: Banglar mati Banglar jal, Banglar bayu, banglar phal, punya houk, hey Bhagaban…(May the soil of Bengal, the water and the air of Bengal be hallowed ...). Tagore himself led mass protests by people on the streets, singing the song and tying Rakhi on each other's wrists to symbolise unity and brotherhood. Amar Sonar Bangla (My Golden Bengal) sung at a Calcutta meeting to protest the impending partition. It became a rallying cry for proponents of annulment of the Partition. A huge amount of nationalist literature was created during this period.

There were widespread agitations across the state. October 16, 1905, the day on which the partition came into effect, was observed as a day of mourning and fasting throughout Bengal. The Amrita Bazar Patrika of Calcutta wrote in an editorial the next day "the people of Calcutta observed it as the day of mourning."

The sear of Partition is yet to heal.

Reunification of Bengal – 1911

Partition barely lasted half a decade, before it was annulled in 1911. In 1911, the year that the capital was shifted from Calcutta (now Kolkata) to Delhi, East and West Bengal were re-united; Assam again became a chief commissionership, while Bihar and Orissa were separated to form a new province. 

In 1911, Bhupendranath Basu was deputed by the Indian Association, Calcutta to make a new representation to the New Secretary of State Lord Crewe about Bengal. The representation was timed with the coming coronation of George V. Lord Crewe showed a sympathetic appreciation of the case of Bengal in his interview with Bhupendranath Basu in June 1911.

The Governor General, Lord Hardinge sent for Surendranath Bannerji and advised him to make a representation to the Government and to drop the anti-partition campaign which was being organised afresh. The campaign was dropped on 12^th June 1911 and a memorandum for annulment of the partition of Bengal was submitted to the Viceroy. Lord Hardinge worked out a scheme to resolve the problem. On 12^th December 1911, the scheme was announced after King’s Coronation. Just as the King was leaving the pavilion, he stood up and made the announcement about the annulment of the partition of Bengal. The annulment of the partition was received with rejoicing.

The aim was to combine appeasement of Bengali sentiment with administrative convenience. This end was achieved for a time, but the Bengali Muslims, having benefitted from partition, were angry and disappointed. The Muslim League condemned the annulment of the partition of Bengal. This resentment remained throughout the rest of the British period.

The final division of Bengal at the partitioning of the subcontinent in 1947, which split Bengal into India in the west and East Pakistan (later Bangladesh) in the east, was accompanied by intense violence. This will our next article.

Reference

-          WHKMLA: Map of Eastern Bengal & Assam Province 1905-1912 in deep green colour

-          Encyclopedia Britannica, "Partition of Bengal”http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/60754/partition-of-Bengal

-          Wikipedia

-          Gordon Johnson, "Partition, Agitation and Congress: Bengal 1904 To 1908," Modern Asian Studies, (May 1973) 7#3 pp 533-588

-          History - Page 194 - Google Books Result

Writer: Rajiv Chanda

LEADERSHIP

Leadership is the process through which a ‘Leader’ guides a group of individuals by setting examples and motivating each member of the group towards achieving a common goal, such that both the organisation and the individual achieve success. Some of the vital characteristics of a leader are :

Fostering unity – the real strength

One of the primary requirements of a true leader is to unite the team. If the spirit of many in body but one in mind prevails among the team members, they will achieve their goals. Whereas if one in body but different in mind, they can achieve nothing significant or remarkable. A happy unit or team can achieve wonders. It is said that TEAM stands for ‘Together Each Achieves More.”

Being a visionary and setting the goals

The first step in any challenge is to set clear goals. If the goals are vague, people will find them difficult to relate to and take on as a personal challenge. Consequently, they will not make any serious efforts to realize those goals. At the same time, one should avoid coercive leadership.  It is important to present the goals in such way that everyone can accept them and be enthusiastic about realizing them. To that end, the central figure or the leader must have the firm resolve to take personal responsibility to achieve the intended target. The passion and enthusiasm emanating from such leaders inspires others to give their best for the organisation.

Setting an example for others to follow

A true leader is a one who leads from the front. Setting an example is one of the best ways of winning the respect of the team. A team will do anything for such a leader if they know they won’t be asked to do anything that their leader himself will not do.

Doing ‘maximum good’ for ‘maximum’ people & Succession planning

A true leader always ensures, instead of one taking a hundred steps , a hundred people would advance a step forward. The key to victory lies in uncovering fresh talent within the team and pooling their abilities. Just as a leader wants to know how bright his future is, where he stands in the future, each of his men also have hopes and aspirations. One is not a genuine leader if one does not foster capable successors. The true worth of a leader rests on how many people he has fostered to carry the organisation’s vision forward; just like a single tall tree does not make a forest and unless other trees grow to the same height, we cannot have a grove.

Communication

Communication is one of the key attributes that a leader should possess. A leader must hold discussions at the group or unit level encouraging more of face-to-face dialogue. As it allows for warmer and more personal encounters, these smaller settings make it possible to properly address individual problems and concerns through one-to-one dialogue. Otherwise everyone freezes.

It is said that ‘Effective communication for a leader is about 50% Listening, 30% Talking, 10% Reading and 10% Writing. It is extremely important for any person who aspires to be a good leader to first and foremost listen to the opinions of the team members. Making comments and being judgmental are to be avoided, hence no one would be afraid to make suggestions in team meetings. Suggestions are to be taken in with an open mind.  It is true that for every thousand ideas that Edison had, only one was practicable. But that one practicable idea gave us telephone and another electric light.

Getting the best out of the team – the right mix of Empathy + Firmness

Members of the team are humans with emotions and need to be taken care of with utmost dedication. They are like tender saplings which need to be nursed diligently to help them grow into strong trees.

Merely ordering people about will not inspire them to action. This is even more so considering that people are emotional beings. If people feel put-upon and act only out of a sense of obligation, they are not going to display their true potential and power. A true leader must inspire each member of the team or group to take full responsibility for reaching a given goal.

As an ancient philosopher said, it is not the position that ennobles a person, but a person who ennobles the position.

For a good and genuine leader it is important to be patient, tactful and diplomatic, and yet firm. The key lies in softening the blow when team members make a mistake. Rather than judging a person as competent or incompetent, it is best to look for each person’s positive qualities, discovering and praising their inherent strengths and abilities. This is the ideal formula for getting the best out of the team.

Humility

Once a tree grows taller and starts bearing flowers and fruits; its trunk bends earthwards. Similarly, the higher the leadership position, the more humble and down-to-earth one must be. The leader must replace “I” with “We”. An example being, an inverted pyramid, though, the leader is at the top, he is not. No matter how great the achievements are, his attitude remains the same. It is not the job that dignifies the person but the person who dignifies the job. Similarly, it is the aspect of humility that sets apart the average leaders from the great leaders.

Accountability

He always encourages his team-members to make a number of suggestions and take plenty of initiatives. If a leader can take the responsibility upon himself for the failure of his team upon instead of blaming and punishing his team, the leader has gone a long way towards garnering the support of his teammates.

Our former president Dr. Abdul Kalam narrates his own experience in this context. When he was the project director of India’s satellite launch program SLV-3.  As the project director, Dr. Kalam was in charge of the control center for the launch of ‘Rohini’ into orbit. Just a few minutes before the satellite launch, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed that some control components were not in order. But though the computer raised an alarm, Dr. Kalam bypassed the computer, switched to manual mode, and went ahead with the launch. Unfortunately, a problem developed and the rocket plunged into the Bay of Bengal. That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Satish Dhawan, had called a press conference at ISRO's satellite launch range in Sriharikota. Prof. Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference himself. He took responsibility for the failure -- he said that the team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would definitely succeed. Now, though Dr. Kalam was the project director, Prof. Dhawan took responsibility for the failure as chairman of the organization.

The next year, when the team again tried to launch the satellite, they succeeded. This time around, Prof. Dhawan gave the entire credit for the success to Dr. Kalam and made him address the press conference.

No fear of trying something new

When Plan A fails, a leader should be ready with a backup Plan B and should not be afraid to try it out. He/ she should never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built Noah’s Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

To sum up, it is best to believe that “Leadership is action and not merely position”.

Writer: Natasha Sengupta

Espionage

According to Merriam-Webstar Dictionary

Espionage      : the things that are done to find out secrets from enemies or competitors

                   : the activity of spying

Espionage is often part of an institutional effort by a government or commercial concern. However, the term is generally associated with state spying on potential or actual enemies primarily for military purposes. Spying involving corporations is known as industrial espionage.

We find espionage in ancient Indian history. The ancient writings of Chanakya contain information on deception and subversion. Chanakya's student Chandragupta Mauryafounder of the Maurya Empire in India, made use of assassinations, spies and secret agents, which are described in Chanakya's Arthasastra.

In Modern History we find intenseespionage activity during the Cold War between the United States and its allies and the Soviet Union and Chinaand their allies, particularly related to nuclear weapons secrets. Recently, espionage agencies have targeted the illegal drug trade and terrorists. Since 2008 the United States has charged at least 57 defendants for attempting to spy for China.

The latest news regarding espionage is in India.  The massive crackdown on corporate espionage in crucial ministries was the result of a four month long investigation conducted by the intelligence agencies at the directive of National Security Adviser AjitDoval.

AjitDoval, aged 70, Master’s in Economics, an IPS officer from 1968 batch of the Kerala Cadre. Doval was actively involved in the anti-insurgency operations in Mizoram, Punjab and Kashmir.Doval was in Pakistan for 7 years!! Doval spent long periods of time in disguise with the Mizo National Army in theArakan in Burma and inside Chinese territory. From Mizoram, Doval went to Sikkim where he played a role during the merger of the state with India.Dovalwas behind the success of Operation Blue Star. Doval was actually inside the Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar,during Operation Blue Star, when security forces were charging in to flush out terrorists from there.Doval was India's main negotiator with the hijackers of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in Kandahar in 1999.Doval has the experience of being involved in the termination of all 15 hijackings of Indian Airlines aircraft from 1971 to 1999.  Doval headed IB’s Operations wing over a decade, and was founder Chairman of the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) and Joint Task Force on Intelligence (JTFI).Doval retired from service on 31 January 2005 from the position of Director, Intelligence Bureau.Doval was appointed as India's fifth National Security Adviser (NSA) on Friday, 30 May 2014.

Now we presume that the readers can understand why Prime Minister Mr.NarendraModiappointment of AjitDoval as India's fifth National Security Adviser (NSA).

Foreign companies operating in heavily regulated industries such as power, telecoms and defence often complain in private that domestic operators gain an unfair advantage through their ability to access information about forthcoming government decisions.Doval raised an alarm over the frequent reporting of classified matters in the media. A TV channel's report saying the Prime Minister was shown images of INS Arihant, a nuclear submarine, at a DRDO function proved to be the last straw. He then asked Research and Analysis Wing(RAW) to initiate action.

A corporate espionage scandal involving allegations of stolen documents from India's government deepened this weekend, following the arrests of employees at conglomerates controlled by four of the country's most prominent tycoons, including billionaire brothers Mukesh and Anil Ambani.Crack-down on corporate espionage was initiated on 19^th Feb 2015. Delhi Police arrested two oil ministry officials, a Reliance Industries(RIL) staffer and two other middlemen for allegedly leaking classified government documents to energy companies for money. The crime branch sleuths arrested Asharam (58) and Ishwar Singh (56),both were employed as multi-tasking staff in the ministry, along with three of their accomplices. They were Lalta Prasad (36), Rakesh Kumar (30) and Raj Kumar Chaubey (39).

On 20^th December 2015, Delhi Police arrested two energy consultants – ShantanuSaikia and Prayas Jain, in connection with leaking of classified documents from the petroleum ministry. Saikia is a former journalist who runs a web portal on petroleum issues and has his office in Defence Colony, Jain runs his consultancy firm in Patel Nagar. Raids were conducted at several establishments.

Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi, while disclosing the development of the case, told that action was taken on a tip off that two persons along with their associates were involved in "procuring, obtaining and stealing the official documents by trespassing into the offices of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas at ShastriBhawan on February 17." They used to intrude in the night, he said. "A trap was laid and three persons came in an Indigo car near ShastriBhawan. Two persons alighted and went inside while the third remained sitting in the car. After around two hours, when the two persons entered the car, all three persons were apprehended," he said.

Total 12 persons arrested so far pertaining to Corporate Espionage. Former journalist Santanu Saikia, who is among the arrested,told reporters, outside the crime branch office, while being taken to court said "it's anRs 10,000 crore scam and it was a cover up."Delhi Police produced the seven accused before chief metropolitan magistrate Sanjay Khanagwal and said it required custodial interrogation of Lalta Prasad, Rakesh Kumar, Prayas Jain and Shantanu Saikia as "sensitive" documents have been recovered.The police alleged that "incriminating" documents of the Coal, Power and other ministries were recovered from the possession of the accused who were supplying these to certain corporate houses for their benefit.Regarding the other three accused - Ishwar Singh, Asharam and Rajkumar Chaubey, the police said they were not required for custodial interrogation, so they be remanded in judicial custody. The court after hearing the submissions, remanded the four accused in police custody till February 23 while the three others were sent to two weeks judicial custody.

There have been reports that these leaked documents could also have been used for trading in the stock markets, although there are no official words on this. "I am hearing it for the first time from you people that the stolen information was allegedly used for trading in the market. We have an integrated surveillance department. If there is an iota of truth in that, my people would already be on working on that," SEBI Chairman U.K. Sinha told media on 20^th February 2015.

Trades conducted on the basis of such confidential information, which would qualify as Unpublished Price Sensitive Information (UPSI), could amount to illegal insider trading as well as unfair and fraudulent activities. 

We are pretty sure many unknown facts will surface as day goes by. But one thing is clear by now; NaMO-Doval combination is on Swachh Bharat mission at Ministry Offices. 





Writer: Rajiv Chanda

 

Illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, the major problem of West Bengal

Dr Shyama Prasad Mookherjee, the creator of West Bengal:  As a matter of fact, Shyama Prasad Mookherjee was the creator of the state now called West Bengal. He carved out West Bengal from the then East Pakistan and East Punjab from West Pakistan. He was basically an educationist but the crisis of partition, more pointedly the partition of Bengal, brought him into politics. When the British accepted partition of India and creation of the new Islamic state of Pakistan, it was decided that the state or a Pradesh would be considered the smallest unit. Or in other words, a state with majority Muslim would go to Pakistan and a Hindu majority state would remain in the Indian Republic.

Figure: Decline of Hindu Population in West Bengal

The above figure illustrates the pace of this decline between 1951 and 2001. In 1991, Hindus constituted 75% of West Bengal population, which will come down to 70% in 2011. In 2034, the Hindu population will decline to 60%, and in 2051, it will dwindle to about 52%. In other words, entire West Bengal will become a Muslim-majority state in the next 40 years.

Illegal Bangladeshi immigrant’s threat to India, say court:

Expressing concern over the increasing number of illegal immigrants in the national capital, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday said they pose a danger to India's internal security, and dismissed a petition by a Bangladeshi national against her deportation.

Justice S L Bhayana dismissed Razia Begum's petition and upheld the Foreigners Regional Registration Office's (FRRO) decision to deport her and four of her family members back to Bangladesh.

“If someone is able to obtain a passport, ration card, election identification card and nationality certificate by illegal means, it doesn't meant that one is an Indian national, until and unless one gets his nationality through legal means,” court said.

Bangladeshi migrants giving cops the jitters:

Kerala police are losing sleep over the influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh. They arrested 20 illegal Bangladeshis from various labour camps in Thrissur district earlier this week and they suspect that more migrants are on the prowl, acting as agents for counterfeit Indian currency.

Thrissur superintendent of police (SP) Debesh Kumar Behera said they had arrested 20 persons from Bangladesh who did not have valid travel documents. "As per the information available with us, 30 persons have managed to flee to Ernakulam district and we have alerted the Aluva rural police," he said.

The officer said that they had interrogated the arrested in detail as these people were said to be carrying large quantity of Indian counterfeit currencies. "This is a serious internal security issue. There is a possibility that terrorists may use these people as their couriers and agents to carry out anti-national activities," the official said. 

Operation Pin Code and The Bangladeshi Immigrant Connection: The Ticking Time Bomb

The issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants is like a beehive. The moment you touch it, thousands of dissident voices will rise against you within the political circuit. Political parties cutting across regions—barring a few political parties– have been known to ignore this issue since decades due to vote bank politics and have been using these immigrants to influence the outcome of elections.

Though most of the Indian population would like to see the issue of illegal immigrants resolved; the situation is getting worse than ever. It is estimated that close to 1 Crore Bangladeshis are now officially missing from Bangladesh and are believed to be living in India, and their number seems to grow with each passing day, with a speculated 5-6 thousand Bangladeshis entering India illegally daily. Moreover, most of these infiltrators now have voter ID cards and ration cards; thereby rendering them nearly indistinguishable from the local populace.

Why Modi is right on the Bangladeshi migrants' issue

 The issue of Bangladeshi infiltrators is a vexed one. It evokes sharp reactions every time some reference is made to it by any leader. This time too when Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate, raised this issue during the election campaign scorn was poured on him.

Mamata Banerjee and some other political leaders on one side and Left and other intellectuals on the other have issued strong statements censuring Modi's views. While Mamata declared that she would protect and safeguard the interests of each and every infiltrator, the intellectuals called Modi's statement a grave danger to the minorities in India.

Bangladeshi Immigrants Vs Tibetian Migrants in India:

People of Tibet Thanks INDIA for allowing them to stay in our country for more than 50 Years
Whereas Bangladeshi illegal migrants are Looters, Spreading Communal Hatred, Violence, Thankless and moreover hoisting Pakistan Flag in our Country

Earlier, in 2003, then Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes had claimed that there were at least 20 million illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India & illegally bought Indian identity.

 

 

 

 

Resolving the Bangladesh Immigration Issue:

During campaigning in India’s recent elections, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime minister-designate Narendra Modi said that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh would have to leave the country if his party is voted into power. Since the BJP did in fact win the election, and with a record majority, how will Modi actually address the issue of illegal immigration? Many previous governments, including those of the BJP, have tried to deal with the issue, with very little success.

Amongst the initiatives adopted by the Indian government for recognizing illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, the most publicized is the Illegal Migrant Determination Tribunal (IMDT), which was established by Parliament in 1983. It was designed especially for Assam State, where the issue of illegal immigration has long been a cause of social and ethnic tension. Unfortunately, the IMDT did not perform as expected. From its inception in 1983 through to the 2000s, the tribunal identified a mere 10,000 illegal immigrants, and deported only 1,400. Considering its poor performance, the Supreme Court of India struck down the law in 2005 and required that the Foreigners Act of 1946 be enforced throughout India to deport illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Yet deportation under the Foreigners Act is also problematic. In 2003, the then Home Minister L. K. Advani ordered all states to deport illegal immigrants. A few weeks later 265 people were sent to the border, but authorities in Bangladesh declined to accept them. In fact India’s Border Security Forces (BSF), and its counterpart the Bangladesh Border Guards (then called the Bangladesh Rifles), came to the point of violence over the issue.

 

 

Bibliography:

1. Times of India , Nov 10, 2011

2.  ibnlive.in.com, Aug 12, 2008

3.  http://www.islam-watch.org/  Wednesday, 23 December 2009)

4. http://indiaspeaksnow.com/operation-pin-code-bangladeshi-immigrant-

         connection-ticking-time-bomb/

5.  http://www.rediff.com/news/column/ls-election-why-modi-is-right-on-the-

      bangladeshi-migrants-issue/20140513.htm

6.  http://www.supportindia.com/2012/08/25/bangladeshi-immigrants-vs-tibetian-

      migrants-in-india/

7.   http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Activists-and-High-Court-against-the-illegal- 

     detention-of-Bangladeshis-in-India-18417.html

8.  http://thediplomat.com/2014/05/india-resolving-the-bangladesh-immigration-

      issue