Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ut-sally.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!gatech!ut-sally!raghu From: raghu@ut-sally.UUCP (Raghu Ramakrishnan) Newsgroups: net.nlang.india Subject: assam Message-ID: <2698@ut-sally.UUCP> Date: Fri, 16-Aug-85 14:09:40 EDT Article-I.D.: ut-sally.2698 Posted: Fri Aug 16 14:09:40 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 21:21:47 EDT Distribution: net Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas Lines: 16 An accord has been reached on the Assam immigrants issue. In essence, those who immigrated to Assam after 1965 will be disenfranchised, and those who did so after 1971 will be deported. The number of deportations that this will involve was not mentioned in the article (New York Times, Aug 16). New elections are to be held soon. For those who are unfamiliar with the Assam problem, several people from Bangla Desh (adjoining Assam) illegally immigrated for the usual reasons - better living conditions, jobs... The Assamese, again as usual, resented the newcomers since they felt that this affected their livelihood. To complicate matters, most of the immigrants were Muslims and Assam is predominantly Hindu and this has lent a communal tinge to the acrimony. During state elections in 1983, there was an eruption of violence resulting in over 5000 deaths. Students (and other Assamese) have been agitating for the expulsion of the immigrants and the present accord is pretty much what they've been asking for.