The Back-Benchers' Blog

I personally do not see how there can be two sides to this argument. The answer is yes; a firm, unequivocal yes. Supporting illegal immigration strikes at the very notion of national sovereignty, inasmuch as the latter rests on two critical foundations: control over borders and a monopoly over violence within said borders. Illegal immigration from Bangladesh makes a mockery of our already porous borders. It suggests that we as a nation have no control over who is allowed to enter and stay.
Moreover, illegal immigration brings in crime. As a former resident of the state that has seen some of the worst excesses of illegal immigration (to wit, West Bengal), I can attest to hearing first-hand accounts of a flourishing trade in stolen cattle and motorcycles that takes place across the border under the cover of darkness. Furthermore, illegal immigration has left a thriving human trafficking racket in its wake: Tens of thousands of Bangladeshi girls are trafficked across the border and they find themselves in Indian brothels. Am I suggesting that all illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are thieves, hustlers and traffickers? Of course not; far from it, in fact. However, I do wish to make the case that is far easier for illegal immigrants to engage in such nefarious activities and jump across the border with ease to escape detection.

In addition to undermining sovereignty and engendering crime, illegal immigration from Bangladesh is a severe drain on our national resources. India is by no means a rich country. Look beyond the shining multiplexes and shopping malls, and you have an India, where life is still rough, indigent and unpleasant. We apparently cannot afford to provide quality nutrition, education and health care to our own citizens. We have the largest number of malnourished children, our rural hospitals and health centers are pathetic parodies of themselves and we have not been able to eradicate diseases like polio. On top of that, add tens of millions of illegal immigrants, who end up adding to the queues at hospitals and the number of stomachs that need to be fed with subsidized food. The bottom line is that we cannot afford illegal immigration. It is economically unsustainable.
One can possibly make humanitarian arguments in support of illegal immigration. Yes, if someone wanted to settle in India to escape persecution in their native lands, I am of the opinion that we should welcome them with open arms. India has done this for countless peoples over many generations. Over time, people such as the Parsis, Tibetans and refugees from the Bangladesh War of 1971 (my own father included among the latter) have integrated themselves into the Indian ethos and contributed to society in many meaningful ways. These refugees of persecution appreciate being in India. They were grateful when they reached India. Indeed, they are proud to be in India. To wit, they have earned the right to be called citizens.
However, I must point out that there is a world of difference between citizenship and residency. Among other things, the notion of citizenship involves being proud of your country and making a conscious effort to integrate yourself in your country’s ethos. Residency, on the other hand, involves neither. Illegal immigrants in India are residents; not citizens (notwithstanding the forged ration cards and voting cards handed out by unscrupulous political parties seeking to create loyal vote-banks). Their residence in India is based on pure economic reasons and they have no reason to feel “Indian” from within.
Before I conclude, I would like to revisit the earlier point I made about enforcing borders. Even if we cast aside the moral and economic arguments against illegal immigration, we can all agree on the fact that illegal immigration from Bangladesh poses a serious threat to our national security. In a landmark decision, the Delhi High Court in 2008 referred to illegal immigration as a threat to national security. We as a nation have chronically focused our attention on our Western (and recently, on our Northern and Northeastern) borders. The relative lack of attention given to our Eastern borders is a serious shortcoming that has been exploited by terrorists, who have set up shop in Bangladesh.
The terrorists these days are often not rugged buccaneers camped up high in the Himalayas, waiting to enter Indian territory under cover of a violent snowstorm. Instead, they are quietly crossing over into India with far less drama, making their way through a border that would make the finest Swiss cheese blush in shame. The Bangladeshi Government has generally been extraordinarily intransigent to Indian concerns about the existence of terrorist interests in that country (or even the existence of its citizens living illegally in India). If we cannot rely on a purported “ally” to help us, I believe the only recourse is to ekla chalo re.
Securing our borders does not require rocket science. Enough with small talk; the time to act is now.