Threat perceptions and demand for regulatory mechanism
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 26, 2014 -
Once again the brute side of the State police came to the fore. Scores and scores of school and college students were slapped, kicked, thrashed, gun-butted and shelled with tear gas canisters for demanding vociferously a system, popularly known as Inner Line Permit, which can regulate and monitor immigration into the State.
The issue of ILP is not a new one although the public agitation spearheaded by the student community is a renewed effort to drill into the minds of the State legislators the purported growing need for such a system.
The advocates of ILP system, particularly the young students take the issue very seriously and of course, many of them are aroused by the issue.
Even though the State Government has not shown any interest so far to take up the issue this time, the Manipur Legislative Assembly adopted resolution in favour of extending the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations 1873 to Manipur, not once but twice, not to mention about the Cabinet decision towards the same effect.
Before going to the debate of the State Government’s reluctance or incapacity to address the issue, it is pertinent to study why more and more people are craving for such a regulatory system.
Yes, migration takes place in different parts of the planet from time to time. In fact, migration forms an integral part of the history of human civilization.
The whole dynamics of migration is often analysed based on the interplay between ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors. The ‘push’ factors may include environmental, demographic, economic and political pressures.
The ‘pull’ forces which attract migrants to certain destinations are very often the result of forces opposite to the ‘push’ factors. It is generally understood that migration flows produce multi-dimensional implications on both places of origin as well as destination countries/states.
The process of migration becomes a political issue when it becomes a continuous process involving multitude of migrants in a uni-directional manner.
At this stage, migration transforms itself as influx, when viewed from the perspective of the host. When migration transforms itself into exodus and influx between the place of origin and the destination, the process breeds an inherent threat perception.
If one goes by the frenzied and desperate demand for a system which can regulate immigration, threats perceived by the indigenous people are enormously alarming.
The degree of threats perceived by the host depends on variance in many factors such as race, culture, relative population size, customs, economic insecurity etc.
It is these threats and sense of insecurity which are propelling the demand for a regulatory mechanism. Again, these threat perceptions are shaped and informed by identity politics.
To put it a little bluntly, indigenous people of Manipur feel their identity has been threatened by the immigrant population.
Remember, the total population of India, the second largest after China, has crossed one billion whereas the total population of Manipur inclusive of migrant population is just around 27 lakhs.
There are also reports that many parts of London have greater number of temples than churches indicating the ever rising population of Indian origin.
Closer home, Assam has already witnessed some tumultuous situations which had its roots in large scale influx of Bangladeshi Muslims.
There was intense anti-foreigner movement which gave birth to the influential All Assam Students’ Union (AASU).
A few years back, indigenous Bodos and Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh were engaged in sporadic as well as sustained violent confrontations in Karbi-Anglong district of Assam.
ILP or no ILP, the issue of influx is a political issue and a grave one which would have serious ramifications on the indigenous people economically, culturally and politically.
This does not necessarily mean Manipur should be closed to the outside world. The issue should be tackled politically and the Government should never overlook the vulnerability of the indigenous people.
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