By TON Research Section

The unfortunate destiny of Assamese is still unfortunate. Assam is the Indian occupied state having a border with Bangladesh. The law of CAA and the abrogation of article 370 intensify Assam Communist and Bengali Muslims' misfortunes. The large group of people in Assam actively took part in the protests and demanded their self-determination rights. However, the struggle of Communist people and Bengali Muslims Peoples highly and violently suppressed by Indian Forces or Army in Assam and remain of perversion did by the Indian state. Indian forces killed several people during a violent protest, there were tactics to provoke people, and then they became violent after they blamed protesters and tagged them as traitors.

The separatist movements become more violent after the killing of many protesters by the Indian Army. The Movements of self-determination in the Assam state of India started in the 1970s. It stems from the tension between Assamese and alleged neglect and internal colonization by the Indian Government with its federal centre in Delhi. The state of Assam is rich in oil resources, and the people of Assam are still deprived and struggling for basic needs. Media of Assam and other national Media houses always favoured the Indian Army and Oppressive policies by the Government.

Several organizations are struggling for their legitimate demands, including the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), Adivasi National Liberation Army, Karbi Longri N.C. Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). ULFA is perhaps the largest of these groups and one of the oldest, founded in 1979. This movement is purely a struggle against Indian colonization. They are neglected and economic exploitation by the Indian state, the main reasons behind this secessionist movement's growth. Although historically and culturally this land belongs to Bangladesh. India forcefully occupied this land; Quad-I-Azam has significant concerns about the Annexation of Assam because it is a Muslim population area.

ULFA founded at Rang Ghar's site on April 7, 1979, a historic structure from the Ahom kingdom. Military operations against it by the Indian Army that began in 1990 continue to the present. In the past two decades, some 30,000 people have died in the clash between the Assame locals and the Indian Army. However, separatist sentiments deem strong in Assam. Pakistan unofficially offers India to help in resolving the issue on humanitarianism grounds.

ULFA members reject the claim of the Indian Army that they possess lethal arms. Indian Army injected their people into the ULFA, they attack the India army and then they can suppress the peaceful movement of self-determination.

Do detention centres exist in Assam?

There is a long history behind it. Immigration from Bangladesh-previously known as East Pakistan-has been the bane of Assam from colonial times, and still it bans due to the Indian colonial rule on the state of Assam. As a majority of these immigrants are Bengali-speaking Muslims, because on the sides there are Bengals livings since centuries, but after the full force annexation of Indian, Muslims were displaced and become immigrants in their homelands.

The third oppression occurred in 1951 when the first NRC published in 1951 in Assam--to get a count of the state's immigrants. The NRC was prepared by recording the particulars of all those enumerated during that year's census. The 1951 NRC estimated the number of migrants from East Bengal at around 1 to 1.5 million, between one-tenth to one-sixth of the state's total population. However, there is no account of what happened to those who were excluded from the 1951 NRC.

So what happened to the rest?

A majority of them, including those who came after 1971, became untraceable. For instance, a white paper published by the Assam government in 2012 reveals that of the 29,237 detected foreigners, only 2,442 could be deported or pushed back. Under Section 3(2)(e) and 3(2)(c) of the Foreigners Act, 1946, the Central Government is vested with the powers to detain and deport a foreign national staying illegally in the country. The Government of India has also authorized the state government to set up detention centres to keep Bengali Muslims in custody till they can be deported to their country. Indian forces also killed thousands of innocent people during cross border firing.

How many people have been kept in these detention centres?

Contrary to popular imagination, the six detention centre’s house only 834 individuals, of which 559 are Muslims and 275, are Hindus. In April 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the release of declared foreigners who had completed three years in detention provided they fulfilled certain conditions-two Indians will have to take surety, they will have to sign a bond of Rs 1 lakh, their biometrics will be taken, and they have to furnish a verified address. According to government data, 761 individuals were released from detention centres in 2019.

The lives of more than 40 lacks people is under threat because of the colonial rule of India. The people of Assam are fed up of the Indian occupation. Their demand for self-determination is legal as per accordingly the International rules. As the regional player, Pakistan is ready to help the Bengali Muslims, the communist and Indian Government for the peace talks and ended up with peaceful solutions.