NESO slams Bangladesh adviser's call to include Assam

Guwahati, Dec 25: The demand by an adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh to include Assam, Tripura and West Bengal in the neighbouring country has evoked sharp reaction from the North East Students' Organization (NESO) which has alleged that over the years, the Government of India has overlooked the possible threat to the region.

Talking to The Assam Tribune, NESO chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya pointed out that during the time of partition of the country, the leaders of the erstwhile East Pakistan tried to include Assam in that country. But that was foiled because of the strong stand taken by political leaders of Assam, including Gopinath Bordoloi, Bishnuram Medhi, Bhimbar Deuri and other and supported by Mahatma Gandhi.

But from time to time, leaders of Bangladesh were raising that demand and as the systematic demographic invasion is going on, people of Assam were forced to launch the Assam Movement. Assam is the only State in the country to launch such a movement against demographic invasion.

The NESO chief adviser alleged that the Government of India compromised with national security by not dealing with the threat posed by demographic invasion from Bangladesh.

He said that the situation in Assam is now more dangerous than the Assam Agitation days as along with Bangladeshi nationals, jehadi elements have also started sneaking into the country. He alleged that the Government of India never raised the issue with the Government of Bangladesh.

Over the years, the Indian government adopted a soft stand towards Bangladesh terming it as a "friendly country". But now the interim government in the neighbouring country has adopted an anti-India stand and it is time for India to adopt a strong stand against migration from Bangladesh, said Bhattacharya. He also demanded that the methods of guarding the international border should be same in case of both Pakistan and Bangladesh. The second line of defence should be strengthened and if required, the government should set up a new battalion, he added.

At the same time, Bhattacharya said that by not implementing the Assam Accord, the government has given a chance to Bangladeshi nationals to infiltrate into Assam and now the migrants are posing a threat to the sovereignty of the country. Time has come to take corrective steps to protect the North- east region, he added.

By R Dutta Choudhury