Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma argued on Saturday that the 1985 Assam Accord signatories missed a critical opportunity by limiting their demand for border fencing to Assam. Speaking at a BJP event in Guwahati, Sarma stated that the focus should have been on securing the entire stretch across all five Indian states that share a border with Bangladesh, including Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, and West Bengal.
Sarma alleged that the Congress party committed a "historical mistake" by restricting fencing efforts to Assam. He claimed this oversight allowed illegal migrants to bypass the state's barriers by entering through neighbouring regions before eventually settling in Assam. The Chief Minister noted that the current BJP-led central government has already begun fencing work in Meghalaya and Tripura, with plans now extending to West Bengal.
Moving forward, the Assam government intends to push for a total border seal through its submission to a central Demography Committee. Sarma explained that this committee should examine long-term demographic shifts and changes in religious community compositions since Independence. He emphasized that the state would also continue to advocate for rigorous identity verification processes.
Addressing regional security, Sarma highlighted the vulnerability of the Siliguri Corridor, which acts as a narrow lifeline connecting the Northeast to the rest of India. To mitigate these strategic risks, he pointed to new rail and road tunnel projects initiated by the Centre under the Brahmaputra and within the corridor. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for these infrastructure improvements, which he says have accelerated development and investment across the region.
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