Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that the signatories of the 1985 Assam Accord made a significant oversight by not demanding the fencing of the entire India-Bangladesh border, instead limiting the scope to Assam's stretch. Speaking at a programme at the BJP headquarters in Guwahati, commemorating 12 years of the Narendra Modi government, Sarma termed this decision a "historical mistake" that had long-term implications for the state.
According to the Chief Minister, the focus during the signing of the Accord, which followed the anti-illegal immigration movement, should have encompassed securing the entire frontier across all five bordering states: Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, and West Bengal. He specifically criticised the then-Congress government, stating, "The Congress fooled the people of Assam by fencing only its border and keeping it open in the other states."
Sarma underscored that this incomplete fencing strategy allowed for the continued influx of undocumented immigrants through other states, who subsequently entered Assam. He highlighted that the current BJP-led central government has taken up the crucial task of addressing these remaining unfenced stretches of the border. "The borders were not fenced, which led to the influx of foreigners through other states and their subsequent entry into Assam," he reiterated.
Providing an update on the ongoing efforts, the Chief Minister confirmed that fencing work has already commenced in Meghalaya and Tripura. He further announced that similar initiatives are slated to begin shortly in West Bengal, attributing these developments to the proactive measures taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration to bolster national security and address the issue of illegal immigration comprehensively.
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