Foreigners swarming Mayong, Sipajhar, claims Prabrajan Virodhi Mancha

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, July 2: Settlements of illegal migrants are coming up overnight at Mayong in Morigaon and Sipajhar of Darrang, the Prabrajan Virodhi Mancha claimed today, alleging that while politicians are using the foreigners as vote banks, officials are diverting development funds to them as “they do not question even if they get a meager amount.”

Convenor of the Mancha Upamanyu Hazarika said large settlements of illegal migrants have come up at Mayong and Sipajhar and their population is growing by the day.

“Government records say that 77,420 bighas of land are under encroachment at Sipajhar. Eviction orders were issued way back in 1994, but never executed. The result is that today there are over 70,000 non-Indians – 25,000 of them voters –  in these encroached areas. The government has also given them 32 schools, three health centres and toilets,” Hazarika said.

Similarly, in Hatimura village of Mayong, over 300 houses have come up overnight. The administrations have given several assurances that the encroachers would be evicted, but the assurance has remained a lip-service till date, he said. Hazarika said mere updating of NRC cannot resolve the problem of influx as it will only identify the genuine citizens and not the foreigners.

“Independent studies have said that between 2040 and 2061, the indigenous people will become a minority in the State. Unless a multi-pronged approach is adopted, the apprehension in these studies will come true one day,” he said.

Hazarika favoured a legislation which will ensure a protective cover for reserving land, government jobs and contracts for citizens of India. This, he said, is the most important measure as the right to all resources will vest in local inhabitants and the migrants will have no access to them.

Hazarika also demanded immediate measures to clear government lands of encroachment, identification and deportation of foreigners. “Officials who did not act against encroachers should be prosecuted,” he added.

Meanwhile, a conglomerate of several organization of Darrang has given a deadline of July 16 for the government to evict encroachers from the district.