THE ILLEGAL IMMGRATION AND THE VIGILANTE AROUND: THREAT THAT GOVT SHOULD NOT IGNORE

Manas Pal

June 21, 2025   

Illegal immigration from Bangladesh is a real and pressing issue. It exists-firmly and visibly.  Let there be no doubt about that. Let there be no debate on it. But identifying such immigrants and deporting them-as the law says-is not the job of vigilantes or self-styled patriots. That responsibility squarely lies with the government. And in Tripura, we do have a designated police unit for that-the MTF (Mobile Task Force). But let’s be honest here: the MTF has never really been taken seriously-not by the government, not by the police hierarchy, not by the public. It exists, yes, but it is barely functional. Just another name on paper, just another police wing.

 

And then there is also the rot-the old, familiar rot-spread across the system. From local-level politicians to corrupt police officers, from shady clerks-those old foxes in SDM and DM offices, Tehsils to conveniently forgetful officials in Urban Local Bodies, and even the religious elders at the border areas-there’s a whole machinery that has, for decades, helped illegal immigrants obtain ration cards, Aadhaar, voter ID, caste certificates, government jobs, trade licenses-you name it. This has been going on for years. Quietly. Systematically. This has been an open secret. Everyone knows it. And no one acts-effectively and decisively.

 

Now, after the Rohingya spillover into Bangladesh and the quiet ripple effect of it into our region, the situation has become dangerously complicated. The scale has grown. So has the risk. No room for denial anymore. The illegal entry into Indian territory- or more precisely in Tripura, has compounded. It’s now bigger, wider, and far more dangerous. There’s absolutely no doubt about that

 

But then, enter TIPRA Motha-taking it upon themselves to identify illegal immigrants and ‘assist’ in their deportation-with all that big announcements and helpline nubers. That’s where things begin to get worrisome. This entire initiative is laced with risk. Serious risk. Because this isn’t just about identification anymore-this can go terribly wrong, very fast. On the face of it, noble. Necessary even, some might say. But make no mistake—this is fraught with danger. Serious danger.

 

This is not a job to be done by political volunteers, however well-intentioned they claim to be. Even if Pradyot Kishore Debbarman says that his TIPRA ‘warriors’ will not take law into their own hands and will only “facilitate” identification, who knows how this might actually unfold on the ground? What starts as facilitation can easily slip into targeting-possibly communal, possibly political. Let’s not forget, TIPRA Motha is a political outfit. Its actions-even if well-intentioned on the surface-can be misguided or worse, politically and communally charged. But we all know how such things work out in real life. What begins as facilitation can quickly turn into confrontation. A single misstep-one wrong person accused, one reaction too strong-and you’ll have a wildfire. Fact is going by the past history of Tripura a single misidentification-just one without any accountability with the government or anyone-can ignite an uncontrollable flare up. And let’s be clear: Once that fuse is lit, no one can predict how far and how fast the fire will spread. I don’t need to spell it out. History, and I take that of Tripura as an instance only, has enough warnings.

 

That said, let’s also acknowledge a universal truth: Illegal migration is an age-old phenomenon. And let us remember-immigration, especially illegal, has never been completely stopped anywhere. Not in America, not in Europe, not in Asia- not in history. No country-not even the mighty USA-could stop desperate people from Mexico or Cuba from pouring in. Migration is as old as human civilization. Migration is older than our maps.  In fact, modern science-anthropology-tells us we all came from a single African mother. Yes, all of us. The homo erectus moved, migrated, wandered from place to place, ages ago-two million years back. And since then, we’ve kept moving. The reasons change-war, hunger, religion, politics, opportunity-but the movement never stops. Fact remains as humans we migrated, settled, fought and, yes, survived-all the odds, some seen and some unforeseen.  First it was necessity, now it’s economics. People don’t need to study John Keynes or near our homes-Amartya Sen to understand this-poverty, violence, persecution, hunger, and hope have always driven people across borders. As long as you have a neighbour poor or otherwise crisis-ridden with socio-economic-religio-political concerns, you will always find and face migration, at varied levels and at different times- as well legal.

 

But while that history may soften the heart, it must not blind the eye. It doesn’t mean we accept illegal immigration as fait accompli. No. Like every other nation, we must use all tools at our disposal-legal, administrative, and technological-to prevent it. Every country must guard its borders. That includes us.. Because illegal immigration does hurt: It poses serious threat to national security, drains resources, and above all, alters demography. That’s the core concern.
That’s not paranoia. That’s reality.

 

Now, coming back to TIPRA Motha-the concern is not just what they’re doing, but why they’re doing it.
There’s no telling what lies beneath the surface of this supposedly innocent initiative. Given TIPRA Motha’s known communal leanings and political ambitions, it’s not alarmist to say: This is high-risk terrain. The government must not just watch from a distance. It must intervene, engage, and most importantly-draw clear boundaries. There should be an immediate line of dialogue between state authorities and the TIPRA leadership. The issue at hand is serious and cannot be left to the vigilantes, self-proclaimed saviours, or politically-charged elements. The potential fallout is too great. Because sensitive, combustible matters like illegal immigration cannot be left to political groups or NGOs, however noble their claims. That’s how missteps happen. That’s how things spiral and throw up irreversible consequences.

 

And it needs to be handled not with emotion or populism, but with precision, wisdom, and above all-constitutional clarity.

Don’t believe me?
Read Donald Horowitz. Read what happens when ethnic politics and state inaction meet. It’s not theory. It’s The Truth, written in too many languages across too many histories.

   (Tripurainfo)

more articles...