NESO demands NRC across Northeast, clampdown on Bangladesh border

Guwahati, August 6: In a strongly-worded statement during a regional consultative meeting, the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has demanded the implementation of a National Register of Citizens (NRC) across all Northeastern states.

Addressing the press at a hotel in Panbazar on Wednesday, senior NESO leaders, including advisor Samujjal Bhattacharyya and convenor Utpal Sarma, also reiterated the need for a re-verification of the NRC in Assam.

They raised concerns over the continued influx of illegal immigrants, alleged encroachment on forest land, while extending support to the Assam government’s ongoing eviction drives.

Sarma said that identifying and deporting illegal foreigners must be prioritised across the region. “The NRC process must be extended to the entire Northeast,” he said, adding that a fresh re-examination in Assam was essential to ensure the document’s accuracy and integrity.

Bhattacharyya, a key voice in the organisation, warned of the existential threat posed by unchecked immigration.

“The issue of illegal foreigners remains unresolved. The Indo-Bangladesh border continues to serve as a porous gateway for infiltrators, including fundamentalist groups. The government’s failure to detect, delete, and deport such elements is a serious dereliction of duty,” he said.

He cited Tripura as a cautionary example, claiming a sharp demographic decline among the indigenous population. “Out of 40 lakh people in Tripura, only 3 lakh are indigenous. This demographic shift is alarming,” Bhattacharyya said.

Slamming successive governments for their inaction, he added, “The Assam Accord was signed decades ago, but most of its clauses remain unimplemented. Not just Assam, the entire Northeast has suffered because of the so-called friendly relations with Bangladesh.”

He also criticised the BJP-led state government for what he termed a lack of follow-through on earlier National Investigation Agency (NIA) crackdowns on suspected infiltrators.

“Arrests were made, but there was no sustained follow-up. Why has the government remained silent?” he asked.

Reiterating the demand for tighter border control, Bhattacharyya said, “The India-Bangladesh border must be sealed on a war footing. NESO will not allow the Northeast to become the next Kashmir.”

He warned that the unchecked influx of illegal migrants was not only destabilising the Northeast but also posed a threat to national security.

Sarma, meanwhile, stressed the need to continue anti-encroachment operations. “No encroachment in forest areas can be accepted under any circumstances. Eviction drives must continue without hesitation in all affected regions,” he said.

Key demands raised by NESO at the meeting included:

• A Northeast-wide NRC implementation.
• Re-verification of NRC in Assam.
• Immediate detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
• Complete exclusion of the Northeast from the ambit of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
• Constitutional protections to safeguard the rights of indigenous communities.
• Continued and expanded eviction drives to remove encroachment on forest lands in Assam and other states.