Question

How did the Central Government settle the immigration issue?

Answer 1

The Central Government settled the immigration issue in Assam through the Illegal Immigrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act (IM-DT), which was passed by Parliament in 1983. The Act was designed to identify and deport illegal immigrants from Assam, particularly those who had entered the state after 1971. The implementation of this act was a response to the growing concerns raised by the Assam Agitation (1979-1985), which sought to address the issue of illegal immigration and protect the Assamese identity.

The government also held negotiations with the leaders of the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) in 1984-1985. These talks culminated in the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985, which outlined a new cut-off date for identifying illegal immigrants as January 1, 1966. Immigrants who had entered after this date were to be detected, deported, and disenfranchised for 10 years. The Accord helped bring an end to the Assam agitation and addressed many of the concerns regarding immigration and Assamese cultural identity.