Agartala: The Tripura High Court on Thursday, July 10, disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning illegal immigration into the state, advising the petitioners to allow the state government more time to respond to their earlier representation.
The PIL was jointly filed by Dr. Bijoy Debbarma, convener of a prominent civil rights organisation, and John Debbarma, a student activist associated with the Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF). Their court action followed the state government’s silence on a representation they had submitted on June 24. This representation sought clarity on the government’s strategy to implement the recent directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding illegal immigrants.
The MHA’s notification, issued in May, had urged all states to take stringent measures against illegal immigration. It outlined a four-stage protocol: detention, adjudication, detention, and subsequent deportation of infiltrators.
Deputy Solicitor General, Bidyot Majumder, informed reporters that the division bench, headed by Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, disposed of the petition during its inaugural hearing on the grounds that the petitioners should grant the state government additional time to furnish its feedback. However, Mr. Majumder clarified that the petitioners retain the prerogative to re-approach the court on the same matter should they not receive a response from the government within a reasonable timeframe.
The issue of illegal immigration has gained significant attention in the state, with Tipra Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma recently penning a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, appealing for his intervention in identifying and deporting illegal immigrants from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar.
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