Here is what PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee said about Illegal immigrants in 2005

Today, the nation observes the 95th birth anniversary of one of its finest and most popular Prime Ministers till date, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Vajpayee, who remained concerned with national issues throughout his political career has excellent grasp over problems faced by the country. His speeches and thoughts remain relevant even today, and one such issue which has now come into limelight is the infiltration by illegal Bangladeshi immigrants which has led to demands of NRC in Assam and elsewhere due to the sharp change in demographics that is giving rise to social friction in several parts of India. 

In a 2016 press conference, BJP President Amit Shah had said, “We did not have an agreement (Land Boundary Agreement) with Bangladesh at that time. So border fencing could not be completed. Now we have the agreement”, on being asked why the Vajpayee government and the AGP government in Assam, which was in power twice, could not resolve the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

What Amit Shah said about Vajpayee finds corroboration in Vajpayee’s utterances as well. Way back in 1998 itself, the former Prime Minister had said that all illegal immigrants would be thrown out if the country if the BJP was voted to power at the Centre. Later, he had again sounded caution against the intrusion of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh while speaking on the floor of the Lok Sabha in the year 2005.

Speaking in the lower house of the Parliament, Vajpayee had said, “people are coming in big numbers from a neighbouring country in the East. There are not any adequate arrangements at the Border, nor any process for investigation. If someone wants to come here for employment and goes back after earning money, then it is a different matter and a system of work permits can be created for them.” He had added, “However, they come in a deceptive manner, and that too in lakhs as per MHA reports. There is a sharp change in demographics in the bordering areas, which is creating dissatisfaction and aggravating tensions.”

In his visionary speech, Vajpayee had also referred to a Karimganj rally and had also said that it was not a BJP rally, but a manifestation of the anger in the local people. He added that those who attended the rally were of the opinion that those intruding into India were a threat on the future of people, and that their inflow should be stopped. Even at that time, the opponents of the BJP were trying to spin this sensitive matter into a Hindu-Muslim issue. However, Vajpayee had made it clear that this was not a question of Hindu-Muslim conflict. 

Going into the depth of the issue, Vajpayee had not minced any words, and had also made it clear that it was beyond comprehension how a country could tolerate illegal infiltration in such large numbers. He also exposed how some political parties were trying to downplay this issue and were insistent on remaining quiet because it went against their appeasement politics. In his speech, he had also remarked that the BJP does not raise this issue for vote bank politics, but the party raises it only in national interest.

Vajpayee had raised this issue a couple of decades ago. He had also sounded caution about the threat posed by the change in demographics. All such fears are coming true today, which shows how the former Prime Minister of India, late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had the ability and the vision to look far ahead of his times when it came to matters of national interest.

What Vajpayee had said is deeply relevant today. It is also the reason why we need a pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC) in order to ensure that no part of the country faces tensions owing to superficial alterations in demography created by infiltration of illegal intruders. In fact, documentation is a necessity, and also a human hobby. It is perhaps one of the traits which organises and disciplines our way of being, something that is also of utmost importance to maintain order and integrity in any entity, above all, a nation like India composed of a humongous population. While certain vested interests which continue to see themselves as the intelligentsia of the country are opposed to the NRC for reasons best known to them, Vajpayee’s remarks about the threats posed by illegal immigrants and also tensions created by demographic alternations have come true in today’s atmosphere. His wisdom and vision have certainly been validated, and this is the reason why the nation must embrace the NRC in the larger national good.