Mizoram People’s Conference alleges illegal influx from Assam

Aizawl: Opposition party Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) has blamed the state government headed by chief minister Zoramthanga for the alleged influx of illegal migrants from Assam after the publication of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the neighbouring state.

A statement issued by the MPC alleged that there has been an unusual and speedy increase in the number of outsiders in various district headquarters of the state since the publication of NRC in August this year.

The party also accused the government of failing to protect the state boundaries. The opposition party purported that the number of outsiders, especially non-tribal traders and labourers, has skyrocketed in the state capital and other district headquarters recently.

It also mentioned that the speedy and abnormal increase of non-tribal population can cause demographic impact and hamper the business of native Mizos. The party demanded the state government to raid and find out illegal immigrants and push them back to their places.

Meanwhile, police officials said that they have not received any report of illegal influx to the state from Assam. Officials said that the number of temporary Inner Line Permit (ILP), an official travel document issued to Indian citizens for entry to protected area, has significantly declined in Mizoram after publication of NRC in Assam.

A team of media from Kolasib had recently visited and inspected ILP counters at Vairengte, Bairabi and Phaisen villages on the Mizoram-Assam border. The team discovered that the number of temporary ILP issued to non-tribal at the three counters has been considerably declined after final publication of NRC.

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According to data maintained by ILP counters, as many as 9,128 temporary ILPs were issued from Vairengte counter in August, 7,842 in September and 6,850 in October. The number of temporary ILP issued to outsiders at Bairabi counter also decreased from 3,000 before NRC publication to 1,500 in October. However, the ILP counter has been opened in other places against the designated railway station in Bairabi town.

Officials of ILP counters told the visiting media team that they faced enormous problem due to manpower crunch. In August, the Assam government had published the final list of NRC in which more than 19 lakh people were excluded. The Mizoram government in September alerted police forces and issued an order instructing officials not to issue temporary ILP to those whose names did not figure in the citizen list.

Three districts of Mizoram — Kolasib, Aizawl and Mamit — share a 64.6-km-long border with south Assam’s Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts. The entry point to Mizoram from Assam is Vairengte, Bairabi, Phaisen and Saiphai village.