How callous we’ve become

Imlisanen Jamir

 

As much as the topic of illegal immigration has remained a staple in Nagaland’s discourse, rhetoric and perceived action against it has upped a notch especially with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) list being published in Assam last month. 


Here in Nagaland, the government has been vociferous in its push for the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN), and at least in words, has sounded more assertively the need to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Dimapur and strengthen its enforcement. In addition, multiple voices from civil society, non state actors, and individuals espousing the dangers that illegal immigrants pose to indigenous rights, the state’s economy and demography, have multiplied. 


Combine this with Union Home Minister Amit Shah making the topic of illegal immigration his main talking point in his current trip to the region. On September 9, he stated "The illegal infiltrators in Assam will neither be allowed to live in Assam nor will they be allowed to enter other states."


It is very interesting to see how this opening up of the world that globalization and advancements in the sciences is supposed to usher has seen a parallel rise in this protective closed world zeitgeist across societies. 


No one denies that the concerns raised about the adverse effects of illegal immigration to a nation state or a society are legitimate. Yes, they enter illegally and are breaking the law. The effect on the local economy is so obvious, that it is shameful how such monopolies have been allowed to exist for so long. Some of them are criminals and psychopaths, as is the case with psychopaths from every community.  


And while it is right to help prevent and solve these serious concerns, we must question ourselves if we’ve really given these ‘illegals’ a chance to tell their stories. More importantly, have we allowed ourselves the privilege to listen to them?

 
After all, these are people we are talking about; they dream, they love, they hope, they laugh and they cry just like any one of us. 


A report by the news agency Reuters, published on September 8, seems to point that we have not. It describes this tragically ironic situation underway in Assam now where labourers are building a detention centre to house deemed illegal immigrants, and may very well find themselves interned in it after completion. They’re building their own concentration camp.    


Have we become so callous or so aggressive in the assertion of ‘our’ rights that we fail to see the humanity in others?

 

Comments can be sent to imlisanenjamir@gmail.com