Guwahati, Jun 13: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said the signatories of the 1985 Assam Accord should have demanded fencing of the entire India-Bangladesh border instead of limiting the demand to the state following the anti-illegal immigration movement.
Speaking at a programme at the BJP headquarters here to mark 12 years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Sarma said the focus during the signing of the Assam Accord should have been on fencing the entire border with Bangladesh across five bordering states — Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal.
“The Congress fooled the people of Assam by fencing only its border and keeping it open in the other states. This was a historical mistake,” he said.
Sarma said the issue of fencing the remaining stretches of the border was later taken up and was now being addressed by the BJP-led central government.
“The borders were not fenced, which led to the influx of foreigners through other states and their subsequent entry into Assam,” he said.
The chief minister said fencing work had already started in Meghalaya and Tripura and would now begin in West Bengal.
“It is due to the PM’s initiative that fencing was started in Meghalaya and Tripura, and will now begin in Bengal,” he said.
Sarma said the Centre was serious about addressing concerns relating to illegal immigration and demographic changes and had constituted a Demography Committee for the purpose.
He said the Assam government’s submission to the committee would be that the entire India-Bangladesh border should be sealed and proper scrutiny of identities undertaken.
“We are not talking about foreigners but demography — what was the population of Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others at the time of Independence and what is it now,” he said.
“If the demography has changed, it is a matter of concern,” Sarma added.
Sarma asserted that during the last 10 years, the BJP government at the Centre has taken several initiatives for the infrastructure development of the region based on strategic thinking.
“The Northeast is vulnerable as it is connected to the rest of the country by a 22 km long chicken neck corridor, and if there is an attack on this, Assam and the rest of the region will be cut off,” he said.
He said the Centre had initiated rail and road tunnel projects under the Brahmaputra and in the Siliguri corridor to ensure uninterrupted connectivity.
“It is not only development that has been initiated, but the speed and scale at which it is being carried out has transformed the state,” Sarma said.
Praising Modi, Sarma said the PM had shown special commitment towards the Northeast and had “unshakeable faith in Assam’s potential”.
”During Advantage Assam 2.0, his personal guarantee for the state gave businesses the confidence to invest in Assam. His guidance has been transformative for us”, he added.
