From: rbhatnag@uceng.UC.EDU (raj bhatnagar)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Politics of Infiltration: Rebuttal
Date: 13 Apr 92 14:42:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: uceng.1992Apr13.144200.22361
Organization: College of Engineering, University of Cincinnati

In article <1992Apr11.023614.28470@menudo.uh.edu> mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU writes:
>>There is illegal immigration into US from South, but that is no where close
>>to the proportions of infiltration from BDesh.
>
>Well, then tell me that if US with its much higher moral standard and resources
>cannot stop the illegal immigration, how are you going to achieve it in India?
>

The fact that something can not be stopped completely is no justification
for not attempting to minimize it - if it is an undesirable activity.

Just an analogy:
Would one also give up on trying to remove illiteracy because US with its
much higher infrastructure and resource pool has failed to eradicate it?


>Well, I remember it very well. Now tell me how it ended. AGP came to the
>power with the promise to drive away all the settlers in Assam after 1971
>(illegal or legal.) How many were driven away? It is not practical to carry
>out such a scheme.


The illegal settlers have not been identified/resettled due
mainly to the dragging of feet by the Central Govt. It was
something that was to be done by the Central Govt. and not by
the local Assam Govt. What you are saying is that it is all right
to present the illegal settlements as fait accompli to the
Assamese, despite all their protestations, just because some
leaders can use these settlers as their vote banks?
It is continuation of the "Indira-doctrine" that the protesting
Janata would eventually get tired, accept, and settle down with 
whatever situation is presented to them - only if the dispute
is allowed to drag long enough.


>
>>Your suggestion of completely opening the border is sure a noble one, 
>>and I would like the whole World, let alone South Asia, to become a 
>>BORDERLESS entity, but then you must first arm yourself with 
>>solutions to  the messes of the type that have been created in 
>>Assam - which is without any solution in sight yet. India being a
>
>Then, let's try to get that solution. That may be achievable; but stopping
>immigration won't be.
>

*Minimizing* illegal immigration is the *prevention* rather than
you now trying to find the *cures* for the problem.

Yes, compassion and humanitarian considerations require that we extend
all help to those who need help but opening floodgates of India for
illegal settlements anywhere in the country is not the way to go about
doing it. You are creating more problems for India by doing this.



>>Haven't we learnt our lesson from Assam yet?
>>
>What's the lesson:that illegal immigration should not be allowed? 

Yes.

>Show me
>one instance in History when people were able to fight off immigrants who
>were determined to immigrate. 

Only after you show me an instance in history when people were able to fight
off, say illiteracy or war, completely.


>And finally I am not saying that you should not stop the immigrants if you are
>able to. Only that it is impossible to stop. 
>

But it sure can be minimized.

I am neither against BDeshis, and nor against compassionate help
to the needy - but the pressures of illegal settlements in India
are going to inflict a lot of damage on the socio-economic-political
fabric of India in the years to come - and a lower cost solution is to
restrict the illegal settlements and find other ways of extending
humanitarian help to these people.

---raj
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian