A day after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee raised serious concerns about the onslaught of illegal Bangladeshis on the indigenous people in Assam, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi rubbished the Prime Minister’s concern about the influx.
“It is typical of the BJP to lose sleep over the influx issue prior to the polls and dump it conveniently after assuming power,” he said on Wednesday, referring to Vajpayee’s promise during Tuesday’s rally here to caution Dhaka about the consequences of letting its excess population pulverise the locals of the region.
According to Gogoi, checking infiltration along the border was the prime responsibility of the Centre. “Tackling illegal immigrants is our responsibility once they infiltrate into our territory, but why let them cross over in the first place?” he asked.
The chief minister maintained the Prime Minister had no business displaying “phoney concern” about Assam’s influx problem when the BJP-led NDA government chose to ignore all suggestions made by the state government to check infiltration during the past six years. “It has been all gas and no work,” he said.
Following are some of the suggestions made by the state government: Deploying more BSF personnel along the Indo-Bangladesh border, halving the distance between two BSF border outposts from the existing eight kilometres. Replacing the fragile Indo-Bangladesh border fencing with electrified barbed wire topped with concrete wall like the one along Punjab’s border with Pakistan. Setting up floodlights at strategic points along the Indo-Bangla border for better night vigil.
{{/usCountry}}Following are some of the suggestions made by the state government: Deploying more BSF personnel along the Indo-Bangladesh border, halving the distance between two BSF border outposts from the existing eight kilometres. Replacing the fragile Indo-Bangladesh border fencing with electrified barbed wire topped with concrete wall like the one along Punjab’s border with Pakistan. Setting up floodlights at strategic points along the Indo-Bangla border for better night vigil.
{{/usCountry}}Providing photo-identity cards to Indian citizens, particularly in border districts — an yet-to-be-complete pilot project has been taken up in Barak Valley. Creating a river police force to man the numerous rivers along Indo-Bangladesh border.
Gogoi further reminded the Prime Minister that the contentious Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act had nothing to do with infiltration. “The IM(DT) Act does not need to be scrapped to stop infiltration, it is merely a tool to deal with immigrants who enter Assam illegally,” he said.