Don’t ignore ‘Dunki’

It goes without saying that the United States is entirely entitled to deport illegal immigrants. It is also not the first time that Indians who illegally entered the country have been sent back. What has raised hackles is the way the Trump administration has chosen to carry out the exercise. It is difficult to disregard the symbolism attached in the use of a military aircraft to deport 104 Indian citizens — in chains, not to forget. The choice of Amritsar as the landing site has triggered its own set of conspiracy theories. How New Delhi chooses to engage with Washington on the need for such tactics is bound to come up for scrutiny. That said, it would amount to blatant self-deception and a gross abdication of duty if the state and Central governments choose to ignore the ‘Dunki’ route crisis. That is entirely India’s problem, not that of the US.

The illegal immigration market’s stock continues to rise. Newer opportunities keep knocking at the doors of fraudulent travel agents to cater to Indians who are willing to risk it all. Harrowing tales of fellow citizens caught in the illegal immigration trap have failed to act as a deterrent. A significant marker of the public mood is the sympathy for the deportees, that they were wronged and were not in the wrong. The commonality of the illegality is stark. So much so that a state minister forgets that when he chooses to meet them, he is sending confusing signals. In his attempt to provide a balm, he is normalising the botched-up functioning of the law enforcement machinery.

The External Affairs Minister’s remark that it is in the collective interest to discourage illegal movement is well taken. The onus lies with the governments. It’s a collective failure.