Illegal immigration from Bangladesh surges in Assam and West Bengal

Kolkata: The Findings of Census 2011 which revealed exponential growth in the number of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh into several districts across Assam and West Bengal over the last decade, has put the state and central governments on alert.

Data compiled by Dr C Chandramouli Office of Registrar General of India (RGI) and the Census Commissioner, shows an increase of about 5 to 7 per cent of illegal Bangladeshi migrants in various districts of the two states.

“The two states have several districts which are adjoining the international border and shows an a steady increase in the illegal migrant population in the last decade. In many of these districts, the migrant population is at majority over the indigenous populations,” said an officer of the Census Commissioner.

Apart from putting immense pressure on resources and altering the socioeconomic feature of the districts, the new demographics can also play a major role in deciding the political discourse in these areas.

“Bharatiya Janata Party has witnessed a huge rise in its political fortunes in both the states of Assam and West Bengal and unchecked illegal immigration has certainly played a key role, since the indigenous people are afraid of losing their hold on their own land. If this goes unchecked it can flare into a major human conflict as seen in the various riots all over Assam,” said Pinaki Dev, a sociologist in Calcutta University.

The state of Assam and the entire Northeastern region is at further risk, as many estimates that by 2025, the illegal immigrant population will outnumber the entire indigenous population of the region excluding Assam and the whole northeast indigenous people will be reduced to a minority in 30 years’ time.

Though there are no official figures of actual numbers of Bangladeshis in Assam, locals say their population could be 6 million of the State’s 30 million people. That means one-fifth of the State’s population is Bangladeshi immigrants. And the State alone produces over one-third Bangladeshi immigrants in the country.

Government officials though refuse on comment on the data considering the political implication, home minister Rajnath Singh, secretary Anil Goswami and Chandramouli had two meeting last week and the government is expected to take a series of steps to check the immigration in order to prevent the demographic fallout of the same.

State governments though refuse to comment on the issue sighting that international borders are under the jurisdiction of the Union government, sources reveal that many worry about the fallout if demographics further alter.

“Illegal migration has certainly altered Bengal politics in the past, but the rise of the BJP is also a fallout of the same. Whatever we gain today can come to haunt us in the future,” said a Trinamool Congress leader.