A large scale influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh to Assam after Independence made the student leaders in 1979 to come out in fierce protest demanding detention, disenfranchisement and deportation of illegal immigrants from Assam. The “Assam movement” initiated by All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) lasted over six years.
ILLEGAL MIGRANTS (DETERMINATION BY TRIBUNAL) ACT 1983 (IMDT)
Meantime, the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act 1983 (IMDT) was enacted by the Parliament, which described the procedures to detect illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and expel them from Assam. At the same time, the Act provided special protections against so-called undue harassment to the persons affected by the Assam Agitation. It was made applicable only to the state of Assam, while in rest of India the detection of foreigners is done under The Foreigners Act, 1946.
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Fr Ravi Sagar SJ
