BORDERSII(NorthEast)
AnextenededPartofBORDERSalreadypublishedbythisAuthoronPencilPlatform
BY
MDANOWARISLAM
ISBN9789354580178©MDANOWARISLAM2021PublishedinIndia2021byPencilAbrandofOnePointSixTechnologiesPvt.Ltd.123,BuildingJ2,ShramSevaPremises,WadalaTruckTerminal,Wadala(E)Mumbai400037,Maharashtra,INDIAEconnect@thepencilapp.comWwww.thepencilapp.comAllrightsreservedworldwideNopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinorintroducedintoaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyform,orbyanymeans(electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwise),withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthePublisher.Anypersonwhocommitsanunauthorizedactinrelationtothispublicationcanbeliabletocriminalprosecutionandcivilclaimsfordamages.
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Authorbiography
ABOUTTHEAUTHORINBRIEF
Born
of
a
middle
class
family,
the
author,
Md. Anowar
Islam
is
a
lawyer
and
journalist
by profession
and
passed
his
Matriculate
examination from
S.
Ali
Govt.
Aided
High
School,
Sukchar (Assam)
in
1977
and
completed
his
Arts
Graduation
from
Tura
Govt.
College
(Meghalaya)
in
1981.
He pursued
his
higher
studies
in
law
in
J.B.
Law College,
Guwahati
and
obtained
LL.B
degree
from there
subsequently
and
completed
Master
Degree
in Arts
from
Gauhati
University
thereafter
in
1990.
He also
passed
the
NCTVT
training
course
in stenography
from
Tura
ITI,
Tura
earlier.
He
entered government
service
early
in
1981
and
served
various departments
both
under
State
mad
Central Governments
at
Guwahati,
Goalpara
and
Tura.
He also
served
as
Lecturer
in
Goalpara
Law
College
for sometime,
as
also
in
Kazi
&
Zaman
College,
New Bhaitbari
and
then
in
Hatsingimari
College.
He joined
the
Tura
Bar
Association
sometime
in
1992. His
journalistic
works
started
practically
as
back
as in
1979
immediately
after
successfully
participating in
the
Competition
Success
Review
Essay
Contest No.293
and
has
by
now
composed
a
large
number
of poems
in
English,
Assamese,
Bengalee
and
Hindi
as well.
He
has
also
established
a
good
rapport
as
an
outstanding
educationist,
author,
writer
of
note
books
and
poet
and
has
had
a
lot
of
published
works
done
and contributed
to
different
dailies
of
the
North
Eastern Region
and
joined
as
an
active
mofussil
newspaper reporter
sometime
in
1991
and
associated
himself with
The
Assam
Tribune,
The
North-East
Times,
The
Meghalaya
Guardian,
The
Shillong
Times
and
as
a
freelancer
to
The
Telegraphs
etc.
and
so
on
so
forth.
His
poetic
compositions
have
come
to be
published
in
different
local
books
and
magazines while
his
efforts
to
publish
a
local
BI-lingual
weekly, Sapta-Dhwani
from
Hatsingimari
(Assam)
from February,
2000
as
the
founder
editor,
although
could
not
be
successfully
carried
through,
yet
brought
him acclamation
from
all
corners.
He
has
associated
with different
social
organizations
and
served
as Members
and
Advisers
in
different
organizations like
the
Meghalaya
Board
of
Wakfs,
Assam
Unnati Sabha,
Animal
Welfare
Board
of
India,
Total Literacy
Campaign,
West
Garo
Hills
district, Meghalaya,
Founder
President
of
Hatsingimari
Press
Club
and
so
on.
He
has
also
been
honoured
with
Rashtriya
Rattan
Award
in
2004
,
followed
by
an
Award
given
away
by
a
Dhubri-based
local
weekly
publications
group.
He
has
been
a
great
social
activist
rendering
social
services
all
through
his
life
in
association
with
Red-Cross
Society
and
many
other
local
NGOs
and
will
continue
to
serve
the people
as
such
in
all
future
to
come.
At
present
he
is
practicing
as
an
Advocate
under
Hatsingimari
Bar
Association,
and
holding
a
key
position
of
Headman
in
his
own
eleca
with
sufficient
pull
over
the
mass
people.
----Author.
Contents
Chapter-III
Chapter-III
North-East
IndigenousVersusImmigrantsinNorth-East
BeittheBengaliHindus,theMuslimpeasantry,theNepalees,thetea-gardenlabourersfromChotanagpurortherepatriatesoferstwhileEastPakistan,thegenesisofforeigners’influxis,indeed,inmostcasesdrawnrightbacktothetheBritishtime,which,unfortunately,failstoincludealsothosewhohadenteredintoandsettleddownintheNorth-EastbyvirtueoftheirmightyinvasionspriortotheadventoftheBritishcolonialgovernment
Meanwhile,theword“immigrant”asanantonymto“indigenous”appearstohavebecomemostcommoninuseinalmostallcirclesasanecessarysubstitutefor“foreigner”prefixabletoqualifyanounthananouninitself,viz,immigrantMuslims,immigrantNepalees,immigrantHindusandsoon.However,beforewestepinonanddivedeepintothesubject,itmaybeexpedienttoknowwhatexactlytheword“immigrant”standsfor,andhowfaronetendstouseitcorrectlyorincorrectlywithparticularreferenceto“indigenous”andmigration,settlementorresettlementofdifferentpeople,whichtookplaceinthedistantornearspastinthispartofIndia.
AccordingtovariousDictionaries,theword“immigration”asanounmeansmigrationofapersonfromonecountrytoanother,notasameretouristorvisitorbutasasettler.However,inordertoknowtheexact/actualimplicationand correctness of the word“immigrant” in thepresentcontextoneneedstohaveanostalgicassessmentandobjectivereviewofourpasthistoryfirst.
Asborneoutbyhistory,consequentontheBurmesedepredationsandthetoughesteconomiccrisisthatfollowedinAssamowingtoacresoflandsremainingpastureandeveruncultivated,theBritishGovernment,whohadjusttakenoverthelegacyofadministrationofthisregionhadtoinflatethelandwithahugenumberofBengalisettlersbelongingtobothHinduandMuslimpeasantryfromtheadjacentprovinceofBengal,andtherebyencouragedincreasedagriculturalactivitiesandtradesinordertorecapitulatetheeconomicstatusandmakepubliclifehappier.
Itmay,however,bementionedherethatthenewBengalisettlerswerenotatallhappywiththisinter-provincialmigration,andonthecontrarytheydemonstratedtheirpassiveresentmentovertheexorbitantandhigherrevenuesexactedbytheZamindars,whichagaincausedtheirfrequentlymigratingfromplacetoplacewithintheprovinceofAssam.
Thismigratorytrendhad,atonestage,assumedsoalarmingaproportionthatitposedaseriousthreattotheeconomicstabilityoftheregiononceagain,andthegovernmenthadtofurtheradoptthepolicyofgrantingrevenue-freehomestead,gardenlandsetc.toattractthesesettlers.Inthiscontext,itispertinenttoalsomentionthatthesystemoflandsurveyandissueofleaseswasenforcedkeepingthisverydamagingfactorinview,andmoresonottoallowanyfurthermigrationofthesepeople.
Likewise,theBengaltraders,mostlybelongingtoBengaliHindusandotherEuropeans,whoalongwiththeMuslimpeasantryhaving permanently settled down inAssam,completelyassimilatedwiththeAssamesecultureexcept in Surma ValleyandGoalparadistrictinBrahmaputraValley,wheretheBengalculturestillpersistedtodominateduetohistoricalreasons.
Needlesstosay,duringtheBritishrule,thewholeofIndia,includingBangladeshandPakistanhadconstitutedintoasinglecountryandtheconstituentprovincesandotherprincelystatesbeingtributaryatbesttotheBritishgovernment,commandednostatusofaseparatecountrytotreattheinter-provincialmigrationofapeopleasamountingto“immigration”.
Asamatterofcomparisonandbetterunderstanding,thelogicasputforwardintheforegoingparagraphsisasstraightandgenuinelyeffectiveastothemigrationofa“Tamil”fromTamilNadu,asprovidedinourConstitution,andtakingtosettledown,say,inAssam.Thetwobeingtheconstituentstatesonlyof freeIndia,suchamigrationisinnowaybeconstruedasconstituting“immigration”norcanthe“Tamil”becalledan“immigrant”inthestateofAssam.
Bethatasitmay,itmayberecalledthatinthisuniquelandofdifferentplainsandhillstribesmenincludingsuchotheraboriginalethnicgroupsliketheBodos,theKacharis,theKhasis,theJaintias,theGarosandsoforth,therehastakenplaceagreatsea-changeoverthecenturiesintermsofpopulationstructureandsocialreconstructionconsequentonrepeatedinvasionsanddepredations,entryandsettlementofahuge number of foreign powers andotherforeignsettlers,betheythePathans,theMughals,theAhomsorothers.
Whilespeakingaboutforeigninvasions,onefindsastrikingsynchronizationbetweentheentriesoftheMohammedansandtheAhomsinto theNorthEast. It maybenotedthatthePathanshadfirstinvadedAssamfromthewestearly1206ADandwasfollowedbytheMughals,whilethe Ahoms entered this provincein1228ADthroughPatkairangesontheextremenortheast.Boththegroupsofpeopleruledthelandtoalimitedscale,theMuslimshavingruleddownKamrupdistrict,theAhomsupKamrupdistrict.
Nevertheless,theirrulingthelanddoesnotnecessarilyindemnifythem(MuslimsandAhomsboth)fromthedepredationstheycausedtotheaboriginalsinalienatingtheirage-oldtraditionalculturalidentityandsocialstatusincludingtheirlife-style.Nordoesitlegalisetheirentry,ifitisdeemedtobeillegalatallinawiderperspective,andtherebymakethemorconferonthemboththeundisputablestatusofbeingcalledas“indigenouspeople”ofAssam.
Contrarily,iftheBengalpeople,whowerebutthecitizensofthethenunitedIndia,couldbecalledas“immigrant”inthethenAssamthereisnologicthentoexcludetheAhomsandthePathansortheMughals,whowereallbuttheforeignersinthisland,frombeingequallycalledas“immigrants”or insimilarterminology.
Itgoeswithoutsaying,India,aftershebecamefreein1947,wentthroughagreatvicissitude,andwaspartitionedintotwoseparatenations,viz,HindustanandPakistan. Meanwhile, as victims of the unfortunatepartition,peoplethosewhowererepatriatedfromtheerstwhileWestPakistanhadunquestionablycometobeknownas“repatriates”inIndia.Buthowfarthe“repatriates”ofthethenEastPakistan(nowBangladesh)couldretainthisstatusintheNorth-Eastisamatterwhichmaycallforadetailedscrutiny,owingtotheirhavingblended withtheoriginalBengalsettlersandotherBengaliInfiltrators,whomighthavecrossedovertoIndiaillegallyandsettleddowninthisregionatalaterstage.
Thus,themesscreatedbythethreedifferentgroupsofBengaliHindusettlersowingtotheirethnicandlinguisticaffinity has given rise to their being miscategorisedas“immigrant”withnopalpabledistinctionintheeyesofasectionofthepeople.
Similarly,theBengaliMuslimpeasantry,whocameovertothispartofIndiaandsettleddownintheNorth-EasternareaswillbackinBritishtime,cannotalsoeasilybedistinguishedandsingledoutfromthosewhomighthaveillegallyintrudedintothiscountryafterIndependence,owingtoanidenticalethnicandlinguisticincludingreligiousaffinitytheymaintain.Accordingly,theyarealsomuchpronetocomeunderthecategoryof“immigrants”regardlessoftheirallegienceandcitizenshiptothecountry.Thisistheirsadpredicamentwhichcanbeobviatedbutseemsnottobeasoftnuttocrackatall.
ThecasewiththeNepaleesisalsonobetteranddifferentfromthepredicamenttheBengaliMuslimsandHindus,hithertobroughtintothiscountryorrepatriated,sufferfrom.Asregardsthetea-gardenlabourersbroughtmostlyfromChotanagpur,theirstatusdoesnotseemtohave beenleastaffectedorjeopardizedbyanydegreeuptilthisdateexceptformakingreferenceshereandreferencestheresometimeortheother.
Itis,therefore,obviouslycloud-stained,barringtheaboriginalsandsuchotherethnicgroups,whomtocall“indigenous”andwhonotgiventhefactthatundertheprocessoflinguistictransformationandculturalfusion,therehasemergedaneo-cultureknownas“AssameseCulture”inAssam through the centuries. One wishes thatthisveryculturalfusionandsynthesisbenotgotlostsightofwhiledecidingthequestionofone’sidentityandcitizenshiptotheextentrequiredforjustices’sakeandfairplay.
(FiledtonewspapersbyA.IslaminAugust26,1988)
HistoricalBoundariesinNorth-East
Butinanisolatedmanner,muchhasbeentalked,discussed,debatedanddeliberatedatvariouslevelincludingthePressaboutwhatiscalledthe“ControversialBoundaryDisputes”betweenAssamandherneighbouringsister-states,viz,Meghalaya,Nagaland,ArunachalPradeshetc.eversincethelattercameintobeing.Yetnothingformallyacceptablebyallconcernedcouldbeevolvedtoresolvethelongstandingissueonceforandall.
EventherepeatedlytalkedaboutreportslikethatofChandrachudCommissionsetuptoenquireintovariousaspectsandjustification,ifanyoftheclaimsandcounter-claims,asalsoaseriesofmeetingsoftheconcernedChiefMinistersetc.heldinthisregardcouldhardlybringanytangibleresultstowardssolutiontothisproblem.
Thisispartlybecause,sofarmypersonalfeelingsgo,nobodyinthehelmoftheconcernedStateaffairsdesirestobeunnecessarilydraggedintotheissueandgetmalignedforpartingwithanyportionoftheirrespectiveStateterritory,andpartlybecausetheyallwanttheissuetobekepteveraliveasanadvantageousmeanstogainpoliticalmileage,asalsotoavoidanyadverseattributiontantamounttodamagingtheimageoftheirrespectivegovernmentintheState.
Further,theCentreisalwaysseentobeinsearchofsomeopportunitiestoscorepointsinitsinsatiablebidforgainingpoliticaladvantagesovernon-Congress(I)governmentsthroughguidedinstrumentalityoftheStatesrunbyitsownpartygovernments.TheCentre’scasualattitudeandmarkedindifferenceonthisscoreagainisnothingbutaperceptible exercise to build its party image in the statelevel,whichthoughmaynotforceAssamtoconcedetotheclaimsofhersister-statesyetmayovershadowtheAGPcredibilitytowardsprotectingtheirownpeoplefromthemiscreantsoperatingintheinter-stateborderareaswhoarepatronizedbytheneighbouringCongress(I)-runstategovernmentsthemselves.
Theinter-stateboundarydisputeisindeedagoodsourceofstrikingatpublicsentiment.Thus,whiletheAGPgovernmentdoesnot
