LettersIndia is right to distinguish between economic migrants and Hindu refugees from Bangladesh

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An officer takes a photograph of the eyes of a boy on the eve of the release of a citizenship list in India, after decades of complaints about illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Photo: AP

Published: 6:25am, 5 Sep 2019Updated: 6:25am, 5 Sep 2019

If you construct a 100-storey building out of mud, it’s bound to collapse. So Debasish Roy Chowdhury (“Assam boiling”, August 25) fills six pages but fails to be convincing because the foundation of his argument is flimsy.

Throughout the world, there is a clear distinction between migrants who move to better their economic fortunes, like the Muslim settlers from Bangladesh in the Indian state of Assam, and refugees who flee persecution, as in the case of the Hindus from Bangladesh.

Look at the Gulf countries. People from India, the Philippines and other Arab countries may have lived there for over 50 years, but are still not granted citizenship. Once they complete their contracts or close their businesses, they have to leave. One of my father’s friends had lived in Dubai since 1967, but when he retired six years ago, he was not allowed to stay and had to go back to India.

On the other hand, if Hindus are fleeing for their lives from Bangladesh or Pakistan, where do you expect them to go? Obviously, they must be granted right of abode in India.

At present, Bangladesh’s economy is even better than India’s. But even if it isn’t, economic migrants from Bangladesh must be still sent back.

Haresh Khushi, Tsim Sha Tsui