Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has expressed concern over the rapid increase in Muslim population in the state. He said the current situation in the state is “not very good” and large-scale illegal infiltration is responsible for it.
Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday expressed concern over the increase in Muslim population in the state. He said the current situation in Assam is “not very good” and large-scale illegal infiltration is responsible for it. The Chief Minister alleged that a large section of the Muslim population in Assam had come illegally from Bangladesh.
According to him, this infiltration mainly took place when there were Indian National Congress governments in the state and at the Centre. Himanta Biswa Sarma said that those governments did not monitor the borders properly, which affected the demographic balance of the state.
CM’s allegation on illegal infiltration
CM Sarma said that illegal infiltration mainly happened when there were Congress governments in the state and the Centre. He alleged that the borders were not monitored properly at that time, which led to large-scale illegal migration and was affecting the social and political balance of Assam. The Chief Minister further said, “Some people may support Bangladesh in the event of any conflict in future, which may threaten the security of the state and the entire northeastern region.” He described illegal migration as the biggest challenge for Assam and the entire Northeast.
Government steps and strategies
CM Sarma said that his government is taking many steps to protect the identity, land and resources of the state. These include:
- Campaign to remove illegal encroachment
- increase surveillance on borders
- Updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC)
He said that these steps are important to ensure the security and stability of the state.
Accusations on Congress
The CM accused Congress of indulging in appeasement politics and said that due to this the situation of illegal migration had arisen in the state. He said that the present government is committed to correcting historical mistakes and ensuring the security and development of Assam. Opposition parties have reacted sharply to the Chief Minister’s statement. Congress leaders called it a “wrong and socially divisive statement”. He says that this statement is an attempt to divert public attention from the real issues.
The issue of illegal migration in Assam has been a sensitive one for decades. There were large-scale protests against illegal immigrants during the Assam Movement in the 1970s and 1980s. The Assam Accord was signed in 1985, which provided for the process of identification and deportation of illegal immigrants.
Even today this issue remains an important part of Assam’s politics and election debate. In the last several years, this controversy has become more vivid due to the debate on NRC and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
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