Discussion on ‘illegal immigration in NE India’

A joint panel discussion on “illegal immigration in NE India: issues and challenges” was organised by department of history, Unity College Dimapur and department of history, Dimapur Government College at seminar hall, Unity College on Tuesday.
The panellists were Centre for peace and conflict studies, TISS, Guwahati campus Dr. R K Debbarma, Chairman, Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and industry (CNCCI) Dr. Khekugha Muru, Assistant professor, department of sociology, Fazl Ali College, Mokokchung Dr. Limasenla Jamir and independent researcher Shaheen Ahmed. The panel discussion was moderated by Associate & head department of history, Dimapur Government College.
Debbarma said that problems of illegal immigrants cannot be solved by building walls but by formulating better structure system and approach to tackle the issues.
For Dr. Khekugha implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) during the western colonization were not in interest of protecting the tribals but a strategic geo political security move and that there was no proper data and statistics record of illegal immigrants, He pointed towards inter caste marriage in the society that gave privilege to nonlocals for owning land and termed it as an alarming and something that should be taken seriously.
He admitted that the immigrants knows the technique of manipulating the local people in business.
While Dr. Limasenla termed the influx of illegal immigrants as a potential democratic threat and raise concerned on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants taking over business establishment in the state.
She said that the local people did not want to do cheap labour and therefore the illegal immigrants has occupied every corner of business establishment.
She said with the progressing of business, the crime rate and illegal anti-social activities have been on the rise and therefore appealed to the government to implement better policy to tackle the issues.
She also recalled the initiative ‘Survival 2007’, taken by Ao Kaketshir Mungdang and after months of planning and deliberation, the students could able to identify and took action by evicting around thousands of illegal immigrants. Shaheen Ahmed, gave a brief insight on the history presence of illegal immigrants and issues in Assam and Northeast.