On Bodo-Muslim Violence in Assam

There is an article in The Hindu that is worth reading. One can read the article here. The author argues that the conflict in Assam is not really between Bodo i.e Indian citizens and Bangladeshi migrants. The author is from Assam; and moreover, he is the Director for Centre of North East studies in Jamia Millia Islamia, a reputed university. So I trust that he knows the ground reality, and his account needs to be heard. The account that he tells here is not really the one that we hear from the politicians. I think those politicians who shout that Bangladeshi migrants should be deported and those who shout back saying that even before the Bangladeshi migrants are deported they (supposedly supporters of Bangladeshi migrants) have to be deported first are both missing the point here. This appears to be mere electoral rhetoric!

I wish that the author would suggest specific and realistic formula to solve the problem. Being in a Centre that is studying the issues of the North East, he is in the best place to provide advice and suggestion to the government. It is true that government, led by Nehru in the past, has often failed to study the matter seriously, before it addresses the matter. No wonder North East India is in a mess today! And even at present Government of India seems to be at loss than ever before on how to address the different issues confronting the region. And I think Sanjoy Hazarika and his team are in  a position to place feasible and just solution before the government of India. 

One of the comments of the article reads ' The Mymensingha from East Bengal (present Bangladesh & part of Pakistan until its liberation in 1971) ) started moving into the adjoining districts of Assam in a big way in the late 1890s. From then until 18 July 1948 the movement was legal. Between July 1948 and March 1971 about three to four million Mymensingha from East Pakistan moved into Assam. The Shaikh Mujib - Indira Gandhi agreement of 1972 decided that these East Pakistani illegals would remain in Assam. The Assam Accord between Rajeev Gandhi and Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and others, followed by the amendment to the Citizenship Act in 1985 conferred Indian citizenship on this group of Mymensingha in Assam. Legally and technically only those who came from Bangladesh without valid documents, after March 24, 1971 can be called illegals'