Agartala, July 20
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Sunday that the state government has formed task forces to identify and deport illegal immigrants, particularly Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals staying unlawfully in the state.
After visiting various parts of the capital city to supervise the basic issues of the people, the Chief Minister said that the district-level task forces would identify the illegal migrants and take due course of action.
As per the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, people belonging to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians who came to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014, would be allowed to stay in India. “The task forces would identify the foreign nationals and would also verify when they came to Tripura. The task forces would also check whether any people came to Tripura recently or after the turmoil in Bangladesh last year,†Saha, who holds the Home portfolio, told the media.
On March 11, 2024, the Centre notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2024, thus paving the way for enforcing the CAA, which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians who came to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014.
Chief Minister Manik Saha earlier said that infiltrators from Bangladesh also realised that Tripura is not a safe zone for them, adding that all security agencies are on high alert to prevent infiltrators from entering India. “After the trouble began in Bangladesh last year, security forces maintained a close vigil along the border to foil any kind of infiltration bid,†Saha said.
The Chief Minister recently held meetings with senior security officials of different agencies, including BSF, and requested the officials in the state to maintain close coordination among them to deal with border-related issues.
Tripura, which has an 856 km border with Bangladesh, is surrounded on three sides by the neighbouring country, making the northeastern state very vulnerable and sensitive to cross-border migration issues and other crimes. Except for some patches, most of the frontier has been fenced to prevent smuggling, trans-border crimes, and cross-border illegal movements by infiltrators and inimical elements.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I understand security concerns, we must handle this sensitively. Many Rohingyas are fleeing persecution - can't we find a humanitarian solution? India has always been welcoming to those in need ðŸ™
Good initiative but implementation is key. We've heard such announcements before. Hope this time there's proper verification and no harassment of genuine Indian citizens living in border areas.
The CAA provisions make sense - we should prioritize persecuted minorities from our neighboring countries. But the process must be transparent and fair. No room for discrimination or bias in implementation.
As someone from Tripura, I've seen how unchecked migration changes local demographics. Happy that CM is taking concrete steps. But request govt to also focus on creating jobs for locals - that's the real solution!
The border fencing work needs to be completed urgently. 856 km is a huge stretch to monitor. Maybe we should use more technology like drones and sensors to prevent illegal crossings.
While security is important, let's not forget our culture of 'Atithi Devo Bhava'. There should be proper refugee status determination instead of mass deportations. Balance is needed between security and humanity.