The Hindu : National : GoM not against IMDT Act, says Patil

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Wednesday, Aug 24, 2005

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National

GoM not against IMDT Act, says Patil

Special Correspondent

It is to ensure that common people are not inconvenienced

NEW DELHI: Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Tuesday assured the Rajya Sabha that the Government would respect the Supreme Court judgment striking down the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act.

A Group of Ministers (GoM) was set up only to find ways of ensuring that the common people were not inconvenienced in the absence of the legislation and not to show disregard for the court, he said replying to a discussion on the situation arising out of the ruling.

"We will implement whatever the Supreme Court has observed. We will not say anything against its order both inside and outside Parliament. The court has asked for 21 tribunals under the Foreigners Act. We will set them up. At the same time the Government will ensure justice to those who speak Bengali or are from a particular religion so that they are not harassed. We will keep both these aspects in mind in formulating the policy [on detecting and deporting illegal migrants from Bangladesh].''

The rationale behind the setting up of the GoM soon after the court struck down the legislation was to study the impact of changing the Foreigners Act or the Citizen's Act or bringing in a third law to guard against the innocent being put to inconvenience.

Taking on Pramod Mahajan (Bharatiya Janata Party) for criticising the impugned legislation, Mr. Patil said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government could have withdrawn the Act had it been so bitterly opposed to it. When Mr. Mahajan said it could not do so for lack of majority in the Rajya Sabha and that the NDA Government made known its opposition to the law in the Supreme Court, Mr. Patil told him: "Laws are not made and repealed in the Supreme Court. You could at least have changed the rules because that requires [only] an executive order not a majority in Parliament."

"Better deterrents needed"

He, however, agreed with Mr. Mahajan on the need for improved deterrents on the border and assured him that new fencing would be completed within 18 months, besides improvements to the old fencing with sensors and floodlights.

The Government would purchase speedboats and floating border outposts for riverine stretches.

"Suggestion such as these give us moral support while asking officials to speed up work on the fence."

Mr. Patil appealed to the Opposition not to raise fears of a change in the demographic composition of some Assam districts because migration was taking place all over the country.

Besides the talk of Bangladeshis belonging to a particular religion swamping India could lead to a fear-psychosis among Indian citizens.

"This talk of demography changing due to illegal migration is wrong. I am not saying there is no migration. But we will never allow any attempt to claim territory by changing the demographic composition."

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