The North East Students' Organisation (NESO), a group of eight student bodies from Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura, expressed worry on Wednesday. They are concerned that the political turmoil in neighbouring Bangladesh could have serious effects on India, particularly in the northeastern region, where four states share a border with Bangladesh.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NESO stated that the ongoing crisis in Bangladesh might lead to an influx of Bangladeshi nationals into India, especially in the states sharing borders with Bangladesh. In light of the current situation, NESO stressed the need for the Indian government to ensure that the border between northeast India and Bangladesh is thoroughly and strictly monitored to prevent illegal migration.

Tripura shares an 856-kilometre boundary with Bangladesh, while Meghalaya shares a 443-kilometre boundary, Mizoram shares 318 kilometres, and Assam has a common boundary of 262 kilometres with Bangladesh.

Citing past events of mass illegal immigration from Bangladesh, NESO mentioned the partition in 1947, when hundreds of thousands of Bengalis from East Pakistan crossed the border illegally and occupied lands in Assam and Tripura (then a Union Territory). During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, many from East Pakistan migrated to India, including the northeast, particularly in the states of Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya (then part of the composite state of Assam).

“The northeastern region is home to a plethora of indigenous communities, which are microscopic in numbers and lives, amongst their own communities in traditionally marked territories. The arrival of millions of illegal foreigners from other countries led to a contestation of space, forced cultural assimilation, economic competition, and distrust between the indigenous populace and the foreigners,” the organisation said.

It maintained that the illegal settlement of these millions of foreigners drastically altered the demographic structure in most regions of the seven northeastern states.

NESO pointed out that these northeastern states have witnessed mass movements in the past and continue to demand the immediate deportation of all foreigners from their states, as migrants have overwhelmed the indigenous communities in many areas.

The NESO maintained that the unchecked flow of immigrants into the region has led to insecurity, agitations, riots, and clashes between these foreigners and the indigenous people. They sought immediate intervention from the Centre to ensure that no illegal migrant enters the northeastern states from Bangladesh and requested that no Bangladeshi should be granted asylum or rehabilitation in the entire northeastern region.

NESO comprises the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), Khasi Students' Union (KSU), Garo Students' Union (GSU), All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Naga Students' Federation (NSF), All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU), and Twipra Students' Federation (TSF).

In related developments, BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chaudhary reviewed the operational preparedness along the Tripura-Bangladesh border on Wednesday, August 7, following the political turmoil in Bangladesh, according to an official statement.

Additional DG Ravi Gandhi and other senior BSF officers held a meeting at the Tripura Frontier headquarters to assess the security arrangements along the international border. Senior officials briefed the DG on the current border security measures.

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