MHA tells State Govt to check influx

NEW DELHI, March 22: The Union Home Ministry (MHA) has decided to implement the Assam Governor, Lt General (retd) SK Sinha's recommendation on checking illegal infiltration from across the border, and has asked the Assam Government to take appropriate actions on points concerning them. This was disclosed by the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, I D Swami in reply to a question by B P Apte at the Rajya Sabha. The Minister acknowledging that the Assam Governor had submitted a report on illegal immigration to the President of India, said the relevant portions concerning the state government has been sent to them for necessary action. The Union government has taken a series of measures to prevent illegal migration and to strengthen the security along the Indo-Bangladesh border, Swami added. Based on the reports received from the Northeastern States, the Border Security Force (BSF) and other agencies, a regular review is being undertaken to monitor the situation on an ongoing basis, the Minister said, adding that the repeal of the IMDT Act was also under active consideration of the Union government. It may be recalled here that the State Governor, in his report had called for immediate sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border to check further infiltration besides suggesting scrapping of the controversial IMDT Act, pointing out that it was the biggest hurdle in detection and deportation of illegal migrants. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the first time ever conceded that secessionist activities in certain Northeastern States have links to the chan-ges in demographic pattern in these States over the years. The Ministry was replying to a question whether the changing ratio of population has any concern with the secessionist activities in the region. The Centre's revealation that the Assam Governor's report has been accepted and recommendations are being implemented is likely to trigger a fresh round of hue-and-cry from the Opposition political parties, mainly the Congress which has already criticised the Governor for his report on the illegal immigration and has, on a number of occasions, pleaded with the NDA government to recall him. The Union Home Ministry has, however, not specified what steps were being taken by the State and the Union government's to implement the recommendations. The Minister merely disclosed that additional battalions of the BSF have been raised, border patrolling intensified, both on land and riverine border, reduction of gaps between border outposts, expediting the completion of the border roads and fencing works, among others. Meanwhile, in what could be a setback for the All Assam Students Union (AASU) the Centre today denied that it proposes to amend the Citizenship Act, denying rights of citizenship to the children of Bangladeshi immigrants. In reply to a question tabled by K M Saifullah, Swami said though the state government and the AASU has called for amendment of Section 3 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, dealing with citizenship by birth, the Union government has no such proposal to amend it. The students body has been arguing that implementation of the Section would render the entire Assam Accord meaningless as it has stipulated deportation of all foreigners who entered the State after the cutoff date of 1971. Meanwhile, the MHA in a separate reply has revealed that at least 38 km along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam may be left uncovered because of the inhospitable terrain. The Ministry has disclosed that out of the total of 262 km of land border, only 224 km would be covered by fence. Certain areas where fencing is not possible includes the riverine areas, thickly forested areas and the water logged areas. The length of uncovered areas along the Indo-Bangladesh border in the Northeast is highest in Tripura, where 120 km have been left without any fencing. In Meghalaya, the length of such uncovered border area is around 44 km.