GUWAHATI, Sept 30 � The Indigenous Tribal Peoples Front, the Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha and the NDFB (Progressive) on Sunday raised the demand for making 1951 as the base year for identification of illegal foreigners in Assam.
Addressing mediapersons here, executive president of Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha Matiur Rahman said that the indigenous people of Assam are not going to accept any other cut-off date for identification of illegal foreigners.
�The process of identification and deportation of illegal foreigners from Assam should be as per the provisions of the Indian Constitution that are applicable across the country. Assam should not be discriminated,� said Rahman warning that the indigenous people of Assam will never compromise on the foreigners issue and will resist all anti-indigenous policies.
Pointing out that the foreigners problem has created a feeling of unrest amongst the indigenous people of Assam, Rahman called upon the government to take the indigenous people into confidence and respect their opinion while forming any policy regarding the illegal foreigners.
It needs to be mentioned here that these three organizations have jointly submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding solution to the foreigners issue and protecting the interests of the indigenous people of Assam.
The organizations have also demanded of the government to immediately sign extradition pacts with Bangladesh and Nepal, putting the identified illegal foreigners in detention camps or keeping them under house arrest and taking appropriate steps to get their finger print on biometric machine and photograph.
�All the illegal foreigners encroaching on tribal belts and blocks should be driven out to safeguard the tribal people,� said Rahman insisting that the government act at the earliest to free the Sattra land of encroachers.
Demanding termination of all treaties between India and Bangladesh, Rahman said that the treaties have encouraged the Bangladeshis to migrate to Assam.
The other demands of the organizations include sealing of Indo-Bangla border in the same manner as the Indo-Pak border and imposing shoot at sight order round-the-clock on the Indo-Bangla border.
