GUWAHATI, Jan 18? The government of India?s decision to issue multipurpose photo identity cards to all Indian citizens will definitely help the police in checking fresh infiltration from Bangladesh, said Border Police sources here. Talking to The Assam Tribune Border Police sources pointed out that the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) IMDT Act was a hurdle in the way of detection and deportation of foreign nationals from Assam, but it is not too difficult to deport a fresh infiltrator. According to figures available with the Border Police, during the period from 1985 to 2002, only 1,501 foreigners were expelled from Assam under the provisions of the IMDT Act, while, during the same period, 25,520 fresh infiltrators from Bangladesh were deported. Sources pointed out that the photo identity cards would help the police a great deal in identifying fresh infiltrators.
During the period from 1999 to 2001, the Border Police conducted a survey of the villages located along the Assam-Bangladesh border in the districts of Dhubri, Cachar and Karimganj and mooted a proposal for issuing photo identity cards to about four lakh people. But the proposal became redundant after the Central Government?s decision to issue multipurpose photo identity cards to all Indian citizens. Border Police sources revealed that the process of issuing the multipurpose cards has already been initiated by the Central Government and a pilot project for the same will soon be launched in the Patharkandi area of Karimganj district. The Border Police has already received the guidelines for the same from the Government of India and the same have been forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner, Karimganj for necessary action. Sources pointed out that cards would be issued only to Indian citizens who can provide proof of citizenship and no doubtful citizens or persons against whom cases under the IMDT Act are pending, would not be issued any such card.
Border Police sources admitted that it is very difficult to detect a foreigner once he is inside the country as the physical features and language of the Indian citizens living in the border areas in just the same with the Bangladeshi nationals and once a foreign national is settled inside Assam, he will have to be tried under the provisions of the IMDT Act. Despite the presence of BSF and erection of Border fencing, the Assam-Bangladesh border is still a porous one, making it easy for foreigners to sneak into the country. The distance between the BSF posts along the border and the condition of the fencing is causing concern and the Border Police raised the issue in different meetings with Government of India officials on several occasions.
It may be mentioned here that the Border Police force under the special branch was created in 1962 but the job of manning the international border was handed over to the BSF in 1966. The Border Police force became a separate organisation in 1972 but the job of the force was limited to survey of the villages located along the border to detect foreign nationals. But now a second line of defence with existing Border Police staff and 1280 ex-servicemen is being created to check foreigners who manage to sneak past the BSF and 31 vulnerable positions along the border have been identified for setting up of posts of the new force.