GUWAHATI: The Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha (ASM), a conglomeration of organisations representing several indigenous ethnic and tribal communities, has said sheltering Rohingya in Assam would be disastrous as the state is already overburdened with foreigners who had illegally migrated from Bangladesh.

Last month, a petiton was filed in the Supreme Court after two Rohingya immigrants pleaded in the apex court against the Centre's plan to deport their community members who had taken refuge in India.

ASM working president Motiur Rahman said even as India did not have any specific legislation on refugees, lakhs of refugees took shelter in Assam from the erstwhile East Pakistan and also after creation of Bangladesh in 1971. The ASM's contention is the state's indigenous communities are facing an existential threat of losing their identity and rights over land and resources because of illegal migration.

"Indigenous communities cannot afford to further endanger their existential threat. So, it will be a matter of serious concern if Rohingya somehow enter the state," said Rahman.

Police have already sounded an alert, especially in districts bordering Bangladesh, following the arrest of three Indian touts from Sonapura in Tripura on Tuesday. The trio had helped Rohingya refugees to illegally enter Assam. The ASM had earlier warned that there was possibility of Rohingya refugees trying to take refuge in the state via Tripura. Scores of Rohingya refugees fled the troubled Rakhine state of Myanmar due to ethnic clashes there.

In a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, the ASM pointed out that the indigenous community of the state is feeling threatened as 1971 has been made the base year for NRC.

