Author: Naresh Mitra
Publication: The Times of India
Date: November 3, 2008
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3666645,prtpage-1.cms
Away from newspaper headlines and the glare
of cameras, a spontaneous SMS campaign against infiltration and terror attacks
is gathering momentum in Guwahati.
Most of the SMSs blame Bangladeshi infiltrators
for spreading terror and planning the devastating serial blasts on Thursday
that left 79 dead across Assam. The text messages appeal to residents to be
vigilant, boycott Bangladeshis and not even employ them.
That would be the only way to prevent terror
strikes in the future, the SMSs assert. Police, however, said that they have
not come across such SMSs so far and even if they did, they could do little
about them.
"I don't see anything wrong in making
people aware on the danger of infiltration through SMSs. Undoubtedly, the
unchecked influx of Bangladeshis has created an extensive terror network in
the region. And if the menace is not checked, there will be more such strikes,"
said Shubra Roy Choudhury, a book-seller in Panbazar.
The anti-Bangladeshi campaign got a fresh
boost this July after a Gauhati high court judgment indicted the government
for not doing anything to check infiltration. Assam shares a 263-km porous
border with Bangladesh. The court had pointed out that the state was facing
"external aggression and internal disturbance" from illegal migrants
from Bangladesh.
After the court judgment, the all powerful
All Assam Students' Union (Aasu) had warned that if the influx of Bangladeshis
was not stopped, India would have to bear the brunt of terror strikes. The
student body claimed that since HuJI was suspected to be involved in the Bangalore
and Ahmedabad serial blasts in July, there was a high chance that terrorists
were using Assam as a safe corridor.
"Thursday's blasts show that it's high
time we did something to stop infiltration. At least people are using SMSs
to spread awareness. The government has done precious little to prevent infiltration,"
said Abhijit Kakati, a Guwahati resident.
Though minority organizations have expressed
support to anti-infiltration drives, they see such campaigns as a cause for
worry. They fear that members of the minority community would be stereotyped
as infiltrators and harassed.