New Delhi: As we come to the conclusion of political campaigning for Delhi Assembly polls (by 5 pm, today) to be held on February 5, there is a recent JNU report on illegal immigrants and problems associated therewith, particularly in the National Capital Region, that is making the rounds. The report titled “Illegal Immigrants to Delhi: Analysing Socio-Economic and Political Consequences” led by Professor Manuradha Chaudhury, dean of Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Professor Preeti D Das, from the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, School of International Studies, JNU, highlights the varying implications of illegal immigration on India as a whole and it’s impact on Delhi in particular. The report talks about specific ‘cultural clashes’ as well as the ‘inability of migrants’ to mingle with local communities. This also perpetuates social tension, disrupting traditional structures of the society that we are living in today.

The timing of the report, it’s scope and it’s expose, all of it are making headlines today. Especially, in a politically vulnerable situation in Delhi, the report, brings a pertinent question to the table — has the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party’s political patronage played a crucial role in allowing steady influx of undocumented Bangladeshi and Rohingyas into the Capital.

Chaudhury and Das, as principal investigators, argue that it is true that the influx of illegal settlers has not only transformed the city’s demographics but it has also disrupted the economy, has strained resources, and even strengthened criminal networks by feeding into it.

If this be true, then who is to blame for the situation in the Capital today? Has the present dispensation, and governments prior to the AAP intentionally or intentionally given birth to a system where immigrants can thrive?

It is true that politicisation of the immigration issue (particularly those hoping across borders) is nothing new, but it has gained renewed focus in recently. According to the report, it is the introduction of the NRC and CAA in 2019, and the migration-focused electoral campaigns that we have witnessed of late, that has fuelled the debate around migration once again.

Unfortunately, Bangladeshi immigrants, have borne much of the blame. Their settlements have lead to competition for basic resources, including land, water supplies, essential services, and of course even jobs. This perception that has led to issues that the presence of immigrants could alter the region’s demography and politics.

And this, is the core idea of the JNU report on the immigration issue.

The report, led by investigators Chaudhury and Das, begins by acknowledging that the presence of illegal Bangladeshi migrants in Delhi has turned out to be a major social and political strain on the Capital and nearby regions. With a population of over 33 million, Delhi is bursting at the seams but it also continues to be the main........

© News9Live