Skip to content Skip to navigation

PPFA demands a concrete refugee policy

To,

Shri Banwarilal Purohit
Honourable Governor of Assam
Raj Bhawan, Kharghuli
Guwahati-781004

Dated: Guwahati, 31 October 2016

Your Excellency,

Warm greetings from the Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA). We would like to bring to your kind attention some of the recent misleading and manipulative statements by some individuals and organizations on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 issue. We are shocked that these groups of vested interests are trying to communalise the issue instead of helping to find an amicable solution. The extremely volatile utterances targeting the Hindu minority community of Assam is deplorable and condemnable to say the least. We are from this land of glorious civilization & culture and we feel that our spirit should be that of accommodation of Hindu, Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs and other religious minorities who have had to face extreme suppression in erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and also West Pakistan and have been the true victims of partition of India. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight the historical truth that cannot and should not be forgotten and which will attempt to build an honest perspective on the issue of who is a ‘foreigner’ in Assam (India) which has been a touchy and thorny issue since long.

Hence, we must all look back and see what transpired in 1942 when Mahatma Gandhi called for the 'Quit India' movement. The Muslim League raised another slogan 'Divide India And Quit'. In 1946, the 'Pakistan' demand of Muslim league, supported by the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI), was accompanied by 'Direct Action' or the violent communal riots like the 'Great Calcutta killing' where nearly 5000 people were killed or massacred in only 4 days. Assam's eminent poet Amulya Barua was one of the victims in that killing field.

History bears witness to the fact that Muslims of undivided India that followed the ideology of Muslim League and who wanted a separate homeland for the Muslims were granted Pakistan and thus they became ‘foreigners’ to Indians. In fact the moment they created a foreign land for themselves they lost their rights to get into India again without passports or related legal documents. So, post 15 August 1947 India, all those who demanded and chose to live in Pakistan (including East Pakistan) was legally foreigners.

However, history is also witness to the fact that the minority Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists who were left behind in Pakistan were continuing to face brutal suppression at the hands of the new non-secular government, which prompted the Prime Minister of Independent India Jawaharlal Nehru to issue a historic statement in Parliament that non-Muslims would be safe and secure in Pakistan as both the new nations pledged to be good and friendly neighbours. However, Nehru also declared in the Parliament that if, in future, non-Muslims felt unsafe and insecure in Pakistan due to religious or communal persecutions, they would be always welcome in India and they would not be treated as 'foreigners' in India.

It is indeed a matter of great satisfaction that the Union government in New Delhi has taken steps lately to provide shelter to these 'Victims of Partition' all over the country following a process of equal distribution. In fact, it is a long pending moral responsibility which India should have shouldered much earlier (soon after Nehru made the promise in the Parliament).

But better late than never, and we must all support the government’s action to give citizenship rights to the victims of Partition who have taken shelter in India from Pakistan and Bangladesh till 2014. We must not forget that among these people are many whose ancestors also fought and sacrificed their lives along with many others for an independent India, which has made us free citizens of an independent nation today. Let all of us be grateful to them.

We are also fully aware that since the formation of Bangladesh and the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, Bangladesh made Islam the State religion setting into motion the persecution of minority non-Muslims. In Bangladesh, the Hindus include Bengali, Rajbongshi, Hajong, Adivasi, Jayantiya and Bishnupriya communities, Buddhists (represented by Chakmas) and some Assamese people also, who fled to the Chittagong hill areas during the Burmese invasion. The Christians include Bengali, Garo, Khasi and Adivasi people. All these people became the victims of 'Pakistan Plan' & 'Partition’ and had to therefore live in a 'foreign land,’ for the creation of which they were not at all responsible.

So, under no circumstances these people can be termed as 'foreigners'. The foreigners are those who created the 'foreign land’ in the name of religion, but again these are the same group of people who are infiltrating into India, the country they hated to live in, before 1947 for reasons best known to them. If the history of Partition is properly studied, we can clearly understand who these ‘Foreigners’ are and who are the actual 'Victims of Partition' and who came to India to protect their religions, cultures and their lives.

However, we have no intention of communalizing the issue but we want to provide a clear understanding of how history unfolded lest some vested interests and parochial mindsets for their own narrow political gains and cheap mileage would continue to resort to disturb the peace and tranquil atmosphere of Assam. There is a need for a solution to this vexed issue and we would fully agree if those that have been truly victimized owing to Partition and religious persecution are given a place not just in Assam but in all other States of India, a country where the underlying tenets of democracy are tolerance, secularism and freedom of religion, faith, practice and freedom of expression.

Finally, we also raise our voices for a concrete refugee policy for India so that we can deal with the issue of immigrants logically and legally. We sincerely believe India should sign the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention. Moreover, our government has to ratify the 1967 Protocol relating to the status of refugees.

With Regards,

Dhirendra Nath Chakrabarty (Guwahati)
Dr Rabin Dev Choudhury (Guwahati)
Giripada Dev Choudhury (Guwahati)
Dr Nirode K Barooah (Cologne, Germany)
Dr AK Rai (BHU, Varanasi)
Rupam Barua (Gauripur)
Nava Thakuria (Tihu)
Jagadindra Ray Choudhury (Barpeta)
Anup  Sarma  (Guwahati)
Manju Bora (Guwahati)
Pranjal Saikia (Guwahati)
Utpal Dutta (Guwahati)
Dipannita Jaiswal  (Guwahati)
Jitul Sonowal (Guwahati)
Bobita Sarma (Guwahati)
Bidhayak Das (Bangkok, Thailand)
Vavani Sarmah (Washington, USA)
Kalyan Dutta-Choudhury (Berkeley, USA)
Pranab Kr Sharma (Guwahati)
Prasenjit Chakrabarty (Agartala)
Dr Subhra Kinkor Goswami (Nalbari)
Gourishankar S Hiremath (IIT, Kharagpur)
Anjanil Kashyap (New Delhi)
Jahnabi Goswami (Guwahati)
Girindra Kumar Karjee (Guwahati)
Bibekananda Choudhury (Guwahati)
Ravindranath (Dhemaji)
Namrata Dutta (Guwahati)
Bhagawat Pritam (Guwahati)
Braja Jyoti Sharma (Nagaon)
Gitika Talukder (Colombo, Srilanka)
Devjyoti Saikia (Tezpur)
Onkareshwar Pandey (Noida)
Tarali Chakrabarty (Guwahati)
Akhyamala Bora (Dergaon)
Nripen Dutta (Chamata)
Arun Sarkar (Nagarbera)

Author info

AT News's picture

Assam Times Staff. editor@assamtimes.org

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Dharna at Haflong

28 Dec 2010 - 10:57pm | Anup Biswas
With the demands like 1.To release the DHD (J) leaders 2. To resolve the demands of DHD (J) and 3. Peace settlement in the district of Dima Hasao,the Dimasa Mothers' Association...

Buy paddy from Assam farmers: Akhil Gogoi asks FCI

14 Aug 2021 - 5:16pm | AT News
Guwahati: Raijor Dal leader and MLA Akhil Gogoi demanded Food Corporation of India to purchase rice from farmers of the state, in a live Internet video on Friday, Members of the Raijor...

Pham-Kho-Sowai greetings

10 Sep 2015 - 7:33am | Chow Bilaseng Namchoom
Arunachal Pradesh governor JP Rajkhowa and Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has conveyed greetings to the people on the occasion of Pham-Kho-Sowai, a popular festival of the Bugun Community of West Kameng...

Recruitment scam in health dept

30 Jul 2015 - 8:36am | AT News
Scams after scams seem to have been ailing health department these days. Yet another scam has come to light where nearly 1000 ANM nurses allegedly recruited without any seal of approval from the...

Other Contents by Author

Guwahati: Expressing anxiety over the recent earthquake that hit the Tibetan plateau killing over 125 residents  and injuring several others, a forum of graduate engineers in northeast India apprehended probable damages in the Brahmaputra valley if the China-made massive hydropower project on Yarlung Zangbo collapses some day because of  a high intensity tremor. All Assam Engineer’s Association (AAEA), in a media statement, also urges the Union government in New Delhi to strongly deal with the Beijing administration for safeguarding the entire Brahmaputra river basin comprising eastern India localities along with the north Bangladesh. International news agencies reported ...
In a critical rescue operation, the Indian Army, along with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), have mobilized to save laborers trapped in a flooded coal mine in Umrangsu, Karbi Anglong district of Assam. The incident, which occurred due to a devastating flood on Sunday, has left a group of laborers stranded underground with no communication established yet. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that a specialized team of Navy deep divers has been called upon to aid in the rescue mission. The divers, who are en route from Vishakhapatnam, are expected to reach the site soon to tackle the challenging conditions...
Expressing dismay over the fate of an important road, named after Assam’s pioneer  litterateur Sahityasamrat  Lakshminath Bezbarua, the Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA) urges the concerned authorities to reopen the road connecting Guwahati Railway station with Nehru Park/Gauhati Town Club point on MG road. The forum of nationalist citizens argues that  LNB road should be reorganised for daily use by the commuters as well as heavy vehicles approaching the Reserve Bank of India office, Army Transit Camp and the busiest railway station of the region. It may be mentioned that the GTC point on the north (adjacent to  Judges Field and Nehru Park in Panbazar locality),...
The new year began on a tragic note for India's media fraternity, as journalist Mukesh Chandrakar (30) was found murdered in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, on Friday. His body was discovered in a newly constructed septic tank owned by an influential contractor in Chattanpara. Mukesh, known for his fearless reporting on corruption and insurgency in central India, had been missing since January 1, 2025. His family had lodged a missing person's report shortly after his disappearance. Mukesh, a seasoned journalist and the creator of the popular YouTube channel Bastar Junction, garnered millions of views for his investigative reports. Local journalists and press organizations have called his death a...
A milestone event celebrating the literary contributions of Bodo women writers was held on Monday at the Nativers Institute of Bodology (NIB) in Kokrajhar. The programme, organized by the Bodo Women Writers' Association, witnessed the unveiling of 15 books authored by women writers from the Bodoland region. Prominent personalities, including Dr. Surath Narzary, president of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha, and Dr. Adaram Basumatary, principal of Kokrajhar Girls' College, graced the occasion as guests of honor. The collection of books showcased diverse genres, including nine poetry anthologies, two short story compilations, and four critical essays. Notable authors like Anju Basumatary, Virgin...
In a significant development, legal notices have been served recently to the Chief Secretaries of 15 Indian states and union territories, demanding the immediate cessation of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign. Advocate Mitali Sett issued the notices on behalf of senior gynecologists and members of the Awaken India Movement, citing concerns about informed consent, potential health risks, and non-compliance with Supreme Court mandates. Key Details of the Legal Notices The notices allege violations of the Supreme Court's directives in the landmark case Jacob Puliyel vs. Union of India, which emphasizes the "golden rule" of informed consent. The directives mandate...
The people of Guwahati, along with the Tai Ahom people, will come together to celebrate the historic recognition of Charaideo Moidams-the Mound-Burial system of the Ahom Dynasty as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The event will honor the key individuals whose tireless efforts contributed to achieving this prestigious milestone. The event will be held at Karmashree Hiteswar Saikia College Guwahati, with Dr. K.C. Noriwal, a renowned historian, and other eminent personalities gracing the occasion as chief guests. As part of the program, a detailed presentation showcasing the significance of the Moidams will be screened.
Renowned filmmaker and screenwriter Bhaskarjyoti Das passed away on Thursday after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 51 years old at the time of his demise. Bhaskarjyoti Das was celebrated for his exceptional work in films like Handuk, Sonar Boron Pakhi, and Bakul Phulor Dore, among others. His screenwriting earned him accolades at both state and national levels. He also served as the co-producer and assistant director for the acclaimed film Antardhan. His documentary An Unknown Summer was screened at this year’s Kerala International Documentary and Short Film Festival and gained global recognition. The film was also nominated in the Short Documentary category for the prestigious...
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has established an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal to assess whether the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and its affiliates should continue to be classified as an unlawful association. The tribunal, chaired by Justice Michael Zothankhuma of the Gauhati High Court, was formed under Section 5(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. This follows the MHA's recent decision to extend ULFA's ban for five more years, citing the group's ongoing efforts to secede Assam from India, links with other insurgent groups, and involvement in extortion and violence. The ULFA, banned since 1990, has a long history of criminal activities,...
In our modern world, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases is a harsh reminder of the impact of lifestyle and diet choices on our well-being. As Lalit Kapoor insightfully puts it, “The human body is a self-healing organism.” However, by relying heavily on medications to suppress symptoms, we disrupt this natural process and set off a vicious cycle of dependency and further health complications. The key to vibrant health lies in embracing five fundamental pillars, as seen in communities of the world’s Blue Zones—regions where people live disease-free into their 90s and beyond. Let’s explore these pillars and how they can transform our lives. 1. Food: Nourishing the Body from...