Note

Solution lies in Development
Bharat Jhunjhunwala

Raj Thakeray wants the Biharis to go back to Bihar. Bodos want the Bangladeshi immigrants who have entered Assam illegally be deported. This will not be possible, though. Migration of human beings is a natural process that has always been taking place from population-rich- to resource-rich areas. Indians migrated to East Africa, South Africa, Guyana and Fiji. Blacks from Africa and whites from Europe migrated to America. Europe was in poverty at that time and America had bountiful unexploited resources. Recently 2 lac people have migrated from Afghanistan to Pakistan. Large numbers of skilled workers continue to migrate from the Philippines, India and China to USA and European Union. The migration of Bangladeshi people to Assam is part of this global transition. Workers from Bangladesh are finding demand for their services in India, not only in Assam but as far as Kerala. Namrata Goswami, Research Fellow at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi says: "The fact of the matter in Assam is that there is a market for unskilled labour that comes from Bangladesh."

Migration helps in economic development of both home- and host countries. Home countries get remittances. Host countries get much-wanted cheap labour. This economic gain, however, comes at a social and cultural cost. Host countries have to choose whether they will keep migrants away, suffer economic loss and preserve their culture or vice versa. Karl Marx had said that economic foundations determine the ideological superstructure of a people. In keeping with this dictum it is seen that migration is invariably accepted.

Deportation has never been successful. Many areas of the United States have become Hispanic majority areas despite huge law enforcement machinery which is generally not corrupt. Illegal migrants simply could not be deported. Same is the situation in Europe. Problem is much worse in Assam because Bangladesh is unwilling to accept them back. Bangladesh demands proof of their Bangladeshi citizenship which is simply not available.

Globalization has made the problem worse. Few countries like Bangladesh are losing the race. They do not have high-end education to penetrate the services sector. They do not have natural resources like minerals and forests to build a manufacturing industry. All they have is agriculture which is a shrinking sector because possibilities of income are less. More trouble arises from natural calamities. Big part of Bangladesh is formed from deltas of Ganga, Teesta and Meghna Rivers. The making of Tehri Dam and Farakka Barrage on the Ganga; and similar impoundments of flows of other rivers has deprived Bangladesh of river flows. The silt has started getting deposited instead of being carried to the sea. River beds have risen and have started to wreck more havoc. Less ground water recharge has led to ingress of salt water and ground water is no longer fit for irrigation and drinking in large areas because of arsenic contamination. The only way for the people to save their souls is to migrate—where else if not to India? The problem of migration is, therefore, partly a backlash from the interruption of river flows by India.

The short run solution will require integration of immigrants who have already entered the country. One problem here is land rights. Local people do not want to allow immigrants to acquire the lands. But this is the lesser problem because immigrants world over are willing to live with few property rights. The bigger problem is that the conflict takes on the hue of a Hindu-Muslim division.

One should give up illusions that it will be possible to stem future immigration by building wire fencing along the border. At best, that will only slow the process a bit. Making of such near-impregnable border along the US-Mexico border has not prevented immigration. People will flow into developed- from underdeveloped areas just as water finds its level. The deepening crisis in Bangladesh will lead to demands for 'Greater Bangladesh'. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Father of Bangladesh, had observed, "Because Eastern Pakistan must have sufficient land for its expansion and because Assam has abundant forests and mineral resources, Eastern Pakistan must include Assam to be financially and economically strong." Mainland India is connected by a 21 km wide strip of land with the Northeast. This corridor can be more easily disrupted. India and her northeast citizens, in particular, will live in peace only when people of Bangladesh are happy within their country and do not want to come to India. The long term solution will come from balanced economic development of Bangladesh while unequal development will continue to aggravate the crisis.

Frontier
Vol. 45, No. 13, -Oct 7-13, 2012

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