Assam neighbours apply nationality test, send back hundreds of visitors

GUWAHATI: In what was seen as the fallout of the National Register of Citizens' (NRC) final draft in Assam, hundreds of people, travelling to Nagaland and Meghalaya, were sent back from the two states by the police and a students' organisation.

The development comes despite the Centre's assurance that people whose names did not figure on the list need not panic as this was only a draft and not the final NRC.

The police in Nagaland set up check posts at all entry points to the state from Assam and also the state's only railhead Dimapur to thwart the influx of 'IBIs' or illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

Apart from the Inner Line Permit (ILP) required to visit the state, outsiders are now also required to furnish documents to prove he/she is an Indian. According to official sources, dozens of travellers, who failed to furnish the documents, were sent back. Ahead of the publication of the draft NRC, the Nagaland government had appealed to all organisations and village authorities to be alert to prevent the influx of illegal immigrants.

Confirming the development, Nagaland's Chief Secretary Temjen Toy told TNIE that the police were frisking travellers to find proof of their identity. "We are looking for any document of identity, such as Aadhaar card, ration card, voter ID etc. We are worried only of people who are illegal immigrants. For the time being, we are only trying to find out whether they (travellers) have any proof of identity because we don't yet have the details from the government of Assam," Toy said.

He added: "We don't want to make the ongoing exercise too complicated at the cost Indian nationals. We worry that because of all the NRC pressures in Assam, there could be an influx of illegal immigrants into the neighbouring states. We cannot let such things. We don't want to take any chances."

Many migrant labourers, mostly from the Bengali Muslim community, visited their homes in Assam ahead of the draft NRC publication. There are now reports that Nagaland is facing an acute shortage of the labourers as the migrants are afraid of going back to their workplace for fear of being harassed.

Toy denied the reports saying, "There is no shortage of the labourers. In fact, we are encouraging our youth to take up such trades."

In Meghalaya, over 1,000 alleged immigrants have been sent back from several check posts by the Khasi Students' Union (KSU). The KSU set up the check posts in three districts.

KSU's West Khasi Hills district chief John Fisher Nongsiang said they erected the "infiltration" check gates "as there is no mechanism in the state to tackle influx". He claimed over 100 suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, who attempted to enter the district, were apprehended by volunteers of the union.

In Ri Bhoi district, KSU members checked all vehicles and "detected" over 200 people who allegedly could not prove their citizenship.

Realising the plight of the commuters, the Assam government took up the issue with Meghalaya government on Wednesday.