NJ Thakuria from Guwahati
The Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA) reiterates its stand to detect all immigrants from the then East Pakistan and later Bangladesh with the national cut-off year (1951) and urges the Union government in New Delhi to think about offering work permits (without voting rights) to them in case their deportation becomes impossible because of serious humanitarian and international crisis.
The forum, in a statement, also appealed to the Sarbananda Sonowal- led government at Dispur to support the 1951 as cut-off year for detection of foreigners in the Supreme Court of India, as the case is presently in its jurisdiction. Considering the spirit of Assam Movement (1979 to 1985) to deport all foreigners with 1951 base year, for which over 850 martyrs-Khargeswar Talukder being the first, sacrificed their life, the PPFA found reasons to support the same.
The forum pointed out that the immigrants who entered India after 1951 till December 16, 1971 should be treated as East Pakistani nationals, as Bangladesh emerged as a sovereign nation only after 16 December (not 25 March 1971 as often reported in India media outlets) following the surrender of Pakistani forces under the leadership of AAK Niazi to the Muktijoddhas (forces of Bangladesh freedom struggle).
Arguing strongly to deport the immigrants from Bangladesh, who came after December 16,1971, the forum urged the Union government to start diplomatic exercises with the Bangladesh government in Dhaka. It also expressed hope that a friendly regime in Dhaka would respond to New Delhi’s worries positively. The forum hoped that once the citizenship amendment bills are duly passed in the Parliament, all the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian refugees should be rehabilitated with equal distribution across the country. Among them, those who prefer to stay legally in Assam should adopt Assamese language as their medium of instructions, asserted the statement.
“Adopting Assamese language as the medium of instruction by those settlers would help in promoting the Assamese culture and thus contributing for a stronger and safer India. It will also help removing the linguistic threat perception to the indigenous populace of the State,” said the statement.
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