The modus operandi of these Bangladeshis to prolong their stay in India is to marry local girls, thereby establishing close family contacts with the locals which give them immunity of a sort from being deported. Any parent or grandparent would move the earth not to have their family separated by international boundaries and this is exactly what works for these people crossing over from Bangladesh, helping them to settle in the region.

On humanitarian grounds, the dream of these Bangladeshis to settle inside a country which is far more economically better off than theirs is something that can be understood. However, sympathy is something that Indian citizens can not afford, even for their own brother citizens because the Indian economy is not so good that there is enough to go around and include economically backward people from neighbouring countries. However, what is of utmost concern is not the illegal residency taken up by these foreigners, but the credentials of these Bangladeshis. Ordinary Bangladeshi citizens coming into the country, who can be called economic refugees or migrants, do not really pose a threat to national security. But one can never be sure whether these people coming over from the neighbouring country are ordinary citizens or not. Many of them, posing as ordinary citizens, can be terrorists sent over as ‘sleepers’, a term used by the intelligence community to describe foreign agents who can remain dormant for long periods of time to be activated when the need comes. It could be that one day a family could wake up and discover that the husband/grandfather/son-in-law has committed a terrorist act. This imaginary situation can not be scoffed at because terrorism is now a part of the activity.

In the news report mentioned before, BSF sources are quoted as saying that the border between India and Bangladesh is so porous that officials can not determine how many of these immigrants could be terrorists. Terrorists that have been caught are through specific inputs received through intelligence agencies. At present, Assam alone has 400,000 foreigner cases that are pending in the courts. Since 1985, only a meager 3000 foreigners have been pushed back from Assam.

Taking all these into consideration, the Northeastern region could already be a simmering terrorist pot that could explode at any given time. The Indo-Bangla border fencing which is supposed to keep these foreigners out is yet to be completed and it is doubtful whether the fencing would keep determined individuals from entering India even when it is completed. To make matters worse, there are certain areas which can not be fenced off because of wildlife considerations. These corridors can be convenient entry points for infiltration and the authorities’ hands are tied because wildlife corridors can not be fenced since wildlife is not bound by international laws.

What is needed now is for state authorities having borders with Bangladesh to keep on their toes and not let complacency take over. There is also a need to keep a close eye on corruption since it appears that patriotism seems less important than money in most of the border areas. There have been reports that people without valid documents but with deep pockets have easy access to India from Bangladesh, especially in the Lower Assam areas. Prevention is better than cure now has a deeper meaning, more than ever before.

David M. Thangliana