HVK Archives: Diminishing Assam border? Governor writes to President
Diminishing Assam border? Governor writes to President - The Indian Express
Samudra Gupta Kashyap
()
December 17, 1998
Title: Diminishing Assam border? Governor writes to President
Author: Samudra Gupta Kashyap
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: December 17, 1998
As important as the Kashmir dispute is the one involving influx
of Bangladeshis into the North East, says Assam Governor Lt Gen
(retd S K Sinha. For, this might first lead to a demand for
merger of North-East border areas with Bangladesh and ultimately
could create a situation when Dhaka will cut off the region from
the rest of the country.
In a 42-page report sent to the President, Sinha has warned that
unless border fencing in the North-East, especially in Assam,
isn't done seriously, the country's security is in danger.
No matter how friendly a relationship India craves to maintain
with Bangladesh "we can ill-afford to ignore the dangers
inherent in the demographic invasion from that country," Sinha
has said.
Blaming successive governments at the Centre for looking at the
infiltration problem as a local or a regional issue, Sinha says
that already the demographic pattern of Assam has changed
reducing the indigenous population to a minority. According to
his report, the Muslim population of Assam rose by 77.42 per
cent between 1971 and 1991, compared to 41.89 pc for the Hindus.
The all-India increase in the Muslim population during 1971-91
is only 55.04 pc, he says.
Sinha gives detailed accounts of how Pakistani leaders as well
as the pro-Pakistani leaders of pre-Independence days, carried
out systematic efforts to include Assam and the adjoining areas
in Pakistan, adding that the same efforts were being also
carried out by Bangladesh in the later years.
Governor Sinha has also lambasted the political parties for
indirectly encouraging infiltration with a view to building up
solid vote banks, an allegation which has been the central plank
of the All-Assam Students' Union since 1979.
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