HAILAKANDI, June 14 � Hailakandi MLA and former minister and Advocate General of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Abdul Muhib Mazumdar has clarified that he never opposed the implementation of Assam Accord in the Assembly. Reacting to the allegation leveled against him by the AASU, Muhib Mazumdar said that he was just talking about the relevancy of Assam Accord in present time as it was not implemented in due time.
Addressing a press conference at his residence in Hailakandi town, Mazumdar said that the definition of �khilonjia� (indigenous) should be clarified first before implementation of any accord regarding the identification and deportation of any person. Mazumdar said that the historic Assam Accord was signed 28 years back considering the fact that the illegal infiltration from Bangladesh was the main problem of Assam but the situation has changed now in Assam as various ethnic communities of the State, like Bodo, Rabha, Dimasa, Karbi, Koch-Rajbongshi are raising various demands and a new dimension has created regarding the identification of real indigenous people of the State.
Mazumdar said that despite having the Foreigners� Act, 1946, the identification and deportation of foreigners became difficult and during this critical juncture, the Illegal Migrants� (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1985 was formulated and it was drafted by him, he added. The situation of Assam was quite different as a large number of people were harassed and killed in the name of the identification and deportation of foreigners. The formulation of a new act was very much necessary during that time, he added.
Mazumdar said that the Supreme Court later repealed the IM(DT) Act, 1985. Showing the proper ground of repealing IM(DT) Act, Mazumdar said that the Supreme Court wanted there should be a common act to identify and deport the foreigners throughout the country and that�s why it was repealed. He informed that before the drafting of the act, he kept some demands before the Central Government which included the complete sealing of Indo- Bangla border, issue of inner line permit in Assam, issue of photo identity card to all the residents of Assam, mandatory registration of birth and death and preparation of NRC. Not a single one of these demands was implemented by the Centre, he lamented.
Mazumdar informed that those who were displaced due to the erosion in Brahmaputra are now leveled as illegal infiltrators in the State and this will not be accepted by the minority community. He, however, clarified that illegal infiltrators should be deported from Assam but it should be ensured that Bangladesh will accept these foreigners otherwise their life will be under serious threat. He
