Immigration, Ethnic Conflict, and Political Turmoil--Assam, 1979-1985

Abstract

The Assam accord signed on August 15 1985 between Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and leaders of the movement that demanded the expulsion of illegal aliens marked the end of 6 years of ethnic conflict and political instability in Indias state of Assam. This article analyzes this period of political turmoil in which ethnic conflict was a central theme. Movement leaders demanded that the goverment identify disenfranchise and deport those illegal aliens mostly from Bangladesh. However movement leaders failed to reach agreement on modes of determining the legality of alleged illegal aliens and on retroactively legalizing the status of some of the aliens. The years between 1979 and 1985 saw governmental instability sustained civil disobedience campaigns and ethnic violence that resulted in 3000 deaths during the 1983 elections. The Assam accord incorporated significant concessions by the Indian government to the movements demands. A new regional party the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) was elected to power in 1985 and political normalcy returned to the state. This analysis concludes that the 1985 election results reflect ethnic polarization as well as new beginnings of ethnic accommodation. 2 new regional political parties emerged: one based on the ethnic Assamee and the other on those threatened by the demands of the Assam movement. However support of the AGP among Bengali Muslim immigrants and the limited support of the United Minorities Front indicate that accommodation has tempered the ethnic polarization. One of the most significant effects of the Assam movement is that the immigration issue has been put firmly on the public agenda. Future action will most likely focus on ending the influx of illegal aliens although Assamese are unlikely to accept non-deportation of the post-1971 illegal aliens. Deportation will be an important issue as the Bangladeshi government asserts that none of its citizens have illegally entered India. A combination of resettling illegal aliens in India and pushing enfranchisement in return for measures curtailing future influx may be an acceptable compromise. The ability to negotiate a new framework of ethnic accommodation will remain the key to Assams political stability.