From: mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU (Arindam Ghosh)
Subject: Re: Politics of Infiltration: Rebuttal
Reply-To: mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1992 02:36:14 GMT

>
>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?

>
>You must remember the unrest and the students movement (AGSP) in Assam.
>The main reason for that was the settlement of illegal immigrants into
>Assam with the active connivance of those who wanted to use the
>immigrants as the vote banks. 
>

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.

>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.

>multi-cultural/religious/ethnic country, it must be borne in mind
>that excessive illegal immigration into any one geographical area,
>undermining the resources for economic survival of the native group,
>and threetening to snatch the political power and influence from the
>native group is bound to create massive resentment, tension, and chaos.

If they wanted to unite West Bengal with Bangladesh why the hell will they
come there? No, they want to remain in India not Bangladesh. The feeling
of threatening is exploited by the parties to serve their own ends. I am
not telling that they do not exist. But again that is no way different from
say White Americans being threatened by the Hispanics. It's unfortunate; but
there's no solution. Trying an iron-hand rule will only lead to more bitterness
and animosity.

>
>Haven't we learnt our lesson from Assam yet?
>
What's the lesson:that illegal immigration should not be allowed? Show me
one instance in History when people were able to fight off immigrants who
were determined to immigrate. Hell, even the non-existence of any land border
could not stop the jews from flooding Israel.

>prevent *MANY* Muslims from accepting to live as one of the faiths 
>in a multi-(religious/cultural)society. And Indian Islam is not `
>free from such forces despite the presence of many Indian-nationalists 
>among the Indian Muslims. Chaos in Kashmir is one manifestation of the above 
>separatist philosophy of Islam based polities.

Don't bring Kashmir into this. Assam is fine but Kashmir had a very different
history and very GOOD reason to become independent. I don't support such a
step as once the fragmentation starts where does it all end? But Kashmiris
definitely have a right to independence, whether you like it or not.

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. 

>---raj
>
>
Arindam