Publication of the Assam-specific National Register of Citizens on September 14 by the State Coordinator of National Registration, Assam, has dissatisfied everybody.

In 1971 following a brief but all-out Indo-Pak war, East Pakistan — with India’s aid and assistance — emerged as the new nation of Bangladesh. But even though Bangladesh became an independent nation, because of continuous neglect of East Pakistan’s socio-economic development for over a quarter-century prior to its declaration of independence, poor peasants continued to migrate across a porous border into under-populated Assam which offered large tracts of fertile land for farming. Nevertheless, it is also pertinent to bear in mind that Bengali migration into Assam was not entirely from the east. The economic ruination of West Bengal (pop. 91 million) during 34 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist)-led Left Front government also prompted migration from Assam’s western neighbour state.

Inevitably, the huge influx of people from the east and west prompted the rise of the All Assam Students Union and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) which initiated a violent campaign against “outsiders” who registered as voters, and were threatening to overwhelm the identity of the indigenous population. In 1985, an Assam Accord was signed between AASU/AAGSP and the Union of India. Under the accord, all foreigners (Bangladeshis) who entered India after March 25, 1971 were declared illegal immigrants. But with the task of identifying illegal immigrants proving beyond the capabilities of the state government, in 2012 the Supreme Court ordered the preparation of a new Assam-specfic NRC under its supervision.

On September 14 a new Assam-specific NRC was published indicating that 1.9 million illegal immigrants are settled in Assam. This outcome of the new slapdash census conducted by the state coordinator hasn’t satisfied anyone because the earlier estimate was that 15-20 million illegal migrants have settled in Assam since 1971. Especially not the Hindu militant BJP which believes that most of the illegal migrants are Muslims from Bangladesh, and as such should be repatriated. Simultaneously the BJP believes that Hindus who fled religious persecution in Bangladesh should be automatically eligible to settle in Assam and entitled to Indian citizenship.

Admittedly this is a complex and emotional issue which doesn’t offer easy solutions. The argument that India is the natural homeland of Hindus suffering religious persecution in neighbouring and foreign countries cannot be faulted. On the other hand, laws mandating poor, illiterate peasants regardless of religious affiliation, who crossed over the porous India-Bangladesh border in search of marginally better lives, to produce documentary proof of residence of their forebears stretching back 57 years (1971) is patently iniquitous.

It is submitted that in this new age of continuous migration of people across national borders around the world, this is an obsolete proposition. Preservation of ethnic identities and cultures should be community rather than legislative imperatives.