Question

Analyse any three reasons for the movement against outsiders in Assam from 1979 to 1985.

Hint:

Link the Assam movement of 1979-85 with illegal migration, voter lists and the feeling that Assam resources did not help Assamese people.

Answer 1

Step 1: Background:
The Assam movement ran from 1979 to 1985 and was led by the All Assam Students Union (AASU). It opposed the entry and stay of illegal outsiders in the state.
Three main reasons are given below.

Step 2: Illegal immigration and fear of losing identity:
Many people had come into Assam from Bangladesh and other places, so the Assamese felt they would become a minority in their own state.
They feared losing their language, culture and political control. This was the main spark of the agitation.

Step 3: Voter lists and political rights:
In 1979 the death of a Lok Sabha member from Mangaldoi led to a by-election. A large increase in the number of voters led people to suspect names of outsiders on the electoral rolls.
AASU demanded that foreigners be identified and their names deleted from the lists, and that they be deported.

Step 4: Economic neglect of Assam:
Assam is rich in tea, oil and coal, but the Assamese felt the state did not gain from these resources. The wealth went out of the state and Assam stayed poor.
Local people felt jobs and land were also being taken by outsiders. This deepened the anger and led to a movement that ended with the Assam Accord in 1985.

Final Answer:
The three reasons were fear of illegal immigrants swamping Assamese culture, worry about outsiders on the voter lists, and economic neglect of a resource-rich state.