'No one looks at the problem
from the national interest angle'
Assam Governor Lieutenant General (retired) S K Sinha recently submitted a report to President K R Narayanan drawing his attention to the influx of Bangladeshi immigrants into lower Assam regions. The report said parts of the state were fast turning into Muslim-dominated areas and it was a matter of time before a demand for their merger with Bangladesh was made. While the Congress has called the report 'alarming' and demanded Sinha's recall, the Bharatiya Janata Party has asked the government to consider the report seriously. In a brief interview with rediff.com Sinha puts forth his point of view:
Your report to the President has created a lot of heat. Political parties like the Congress have called you communal and a "BJP agent."
Those who are calling me names lack objectivity. I have no political agenda. In fact, these people only talk big. No one looks at the problem from the national interest angle.
How strong is Bangladesh's attempts to capture parts of Assam?
I have clearly stated in my report how people from erstwhile East Pakistan and even before Pakistan was created were thinking of grouping Assam with Pakistan. Even today, intellectuals talk about lebensraum or living space. Assam is the living space for them.
And how do you think Bangladesh will sever the North-East from the rest
of the country?
Look at the map. Migration is still going on and the districts of Dhubri and Goalpara in lower Assam have a large number of migrants. At one stage, they will want to merge with Bangladesh. This will lead to the land link between the northeastern region and the rest of the country getting snapped. Has anyone thought about the strategic and economic consequences
for the whole nation?
So how do you tackle the problem?
If there is a strong political will, the problem is not insoluble. First repeal the Illegal Migrants
(Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983. And let's not say that minorities will be
harassed if the Act is repealed. Does West Bengal have IM(DT)? Despite its
absence Indian minorities face no problem in that state, so why should they
be apprehensive? Second, let us use Foreigners' Act to detect migrants. Let
officials from outside Assam be deputed for this task. Then, let us
strengthen the Border Security Force and the fencing on the border to prevent further
infiltration.
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