Page 577 - SSB Interview: The Complete Guide, Second Edition

Despite this step, the issue of illegal immigrants continued to haunt
Assam and the 1961 Census showed 2,20,691 illegal immigrants.

6. From then on right up to 1971, the migrations from East Pakistan (now

Bangladesh) continued at an alarmingly large rate. To stem this influx of

illegal population, the Assam Student Unions started a full-scale
agitation to deport, disenfranchise and detain illegal immigrants. The

six-year-long movement spearheaded by the All Assam Students’ Union
(AASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) culminated

in the famous Assam Accord of 1985, which laid down the parameters

dealing with the immigrant problem.

The Assam Accord of 1985

6. The main clauses of the accord were:

a. 1 January 1966 was determined to be the precise date based on

which the detention and deletion of illegal immigrants from Assam
will take place.

b. All persons who came to Assam prior to 1 January 1966 (inclusive)
and up to 24 March 1971 (midnight) shall be detected in

accordance with the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the

Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1939.

c. Foreigners so detected will be deleted from the Electoral Rolls in
force. Such persons will be required to register themselves before

the Registration Officers of the respective districts in accordance
with the provisions of the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939 and

the Registration of Foreigners Rules, 1939.

d. (Foreigners who came to Assam on or after 25 March 1971 shall

continue to be detected, deleted and expelled in accordance with
the law.