Author: A Staff Reporter
Publication: www.assamtribune.com
Date: December 23, 2003
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)
has promised an "intense" agitation in Assam in the next few months to
force Bangladeshi infiltrators to leave the State on their own. It is banking
on the support of other anti-infiltration organisations to fulfil this
goal.
International general secretary
of the VHP, Dr Praveenbhai Togadia, addressing a press conference in the
city this morning, said that in the next six to eight months, the Parishad
will mobilise people in the State to launch a massive campaign against
infiltrators. Various social, political and cultural organisations in the
State, holding anti-infiltration views, will be contacted soon to evolve
a common strategy, he disclosed. Dr Togadia, a renowned cardiac surgeon,
said that infiltration was the greatest threat to the unity and integrity
of the country and accused Bangladesh of doing nothing to curb the movement
of its people. He said that the Parishad will try to build pressure on
all political parties to support the repeal of the IM (DT) Act.
"Kashmir is about to be repeated
in Assam and that day is not very far away," the VHP leader stated. He
said that like the northern Indian State, each section of the greater Hindu
community is being targeted at a time to make way for the infiltrators.
"If today it is the Biharis, tomorrow it will be some other group. Ultimately
even the indigenous Assamese will be reduced into a minority," he warned.
Dr Togadia suggested that India should try to build pressure on Bangladesh
to stop infiltration into Assam and take back the ones that have already
come in. He said that economic pressure in the form of cutting off civil
supplies might compel Bangladesh to do something. As a last resort, he
felt that India should attack Bangladesh and carve out a slice of land
from it to accommodate the infiltrators.
He said that unless the IM(DT) is
scrapped, the unity and integrity of the country will remain under threat.
He urged the Congress to give up its opposition to the scrapping of the
Act for the sake of national interest. He appealed to all anti-infiltration
organisations to come on one platform with a slogan of "Infiltrators versus
all". "That should be our common slogan," he said, adding that those opposed
to the repeal of IM(DT) are trying to build a campaign with a slogan "Assamese
versus all". It will ultimately mean that the Hindus will become a minority
in the State, he said. "To prevent this we need a united effort," he stated.
Dr Togadia, however, made it clear
that he had nothing against the Assamese Muslims. "Our fight is solely
against the Bangladeshi infiltrators," he said. The VHP national committee
will meet in Hyderabad on January 14-16 where a national-level strategy
will be evolved to campaign against infiltration. "The people of Assam
will not be alone. The entire country will support them against infiltration,"
he said. The VHP leader also accused Bangladesh of doing nothing to curb
the activities of 10 to 12 insurgent groups who have set up camps in that
country. He said that Bangladesh, like Bhutan, should do something to stop
the insurgents from having a free run in that country. He felt that the
Centre should mount pressure on Bangladesh to take action against the insurgents.
Dr Togadia accused Bangladesh of supporting all kinds of terrorist activity
against India at the behest of the ISI. "The main target for such activities
is Assam," he warned. "Assam becoming another Kashmir is just a question
of time," he stated.