The Danger Rising Within

On March 29, the former governor of Assam and Jammu &Kashmir, Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha said that Assam should get more attention than Jammu & Kashmir from the Centre. Sinha, who was on a three day visit to the North-East, said this to the Guwahati based newspaper Assam Tribune. Sinha stated that since Assam is rich in natural resources, it is vital for the Centre to retain it at any cost from the greedy eyes of Bangladesh. What is more horrifying is his statement that after five years, the next Chief Minister of Assam will be a Bangladeshi.

Sinha’s comments are significant at a time when the question of illegal Bangladeshi migrants is a burning issue in Assam. It is known that Bangladesh, facing the burden of population, needs more space and as the North-Eastern region is connected to the rest of India by only a small 2 km corridor, anti-India forces can manage to cut that off. If that happens, then the entire region would be snapped off from the rest of the country.

The trouble also intensifies with the presence of the top ULFA leadership in Bangladesh, who are now forwarding the interests of the Bangladeshi nationals by going against the interests of the indigenous people. The presence of the huge number of Illegal Bangladeshis in the state has triggered an identity crisis for the indigenous people which can result in big trouble as it did with riots in the areas of Udalguri and Kokrajhar last year. Also, the presence of these illegal immigrants has also given spurt to the activities of Jehadist elements like the HuJi in the region.

The presence of dirty vote bank politics has ensured the survival for these illegal immigrants in Assam. And on top of that, the ever increasing feelings of communal hatred that are being augmented by these Bangladeshis are creating havoc with the communal harmony of the state. Though the situation is deteriorating, it can still be saved if proper action is taken by the Centre as soon as possible. Or else we can only wait for another calamity that will take down the entire North-East along with Assam.