Mahanta blames it on Centre for non-implementation of Accord

'Assam can never shoulder the burden of anymore foreigners'

Fate of Assam Accord

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 6: Passing the buck on the Centre, former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has blamed it on the successive Central Governments for the non-implementation of various clauses of the Assam Accord.

The former Chief Minister said this in his iugural speech at the Sangrami Satirtha Mancha Abhivartan called by the Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha (AASM) at District Library in the city today. The convention, presided over by former MP Kumar Dipak Das, was called to protest the September 7 notification issued by the Centre regularizing the stay of Bangladeshi and Pakistani minorities in India who entered till December 31, 2014. Das was the convener of the convention.

Mahanta said: "The Union Home Ministry is one of the nodal agencies on the implementation of the Assam Accord. No state government can implement the accord without good will from the Union Home Ministry. Various clauses of the Assam Accord could not be implemented due to negligence by the successive Central Governments. New Delhi lays utmost emphasis on the intertiol borders in the West, not on those in the Northeast. Barbed wire fencing, border shielding, border roads etc., were grossly neglected by the Centre."

On the rendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre, Mahanta said: "Soon after coming to power at the Centre, Modi has taken a U-turn on a number of issues. Before the last Lok Sabha elections he said that Bangladeshis would have to leave Assam before May 16. Leaders of the State BJP also opposed the India-Bangladesh Land Swap Deal and waved the party flag against the deal along the Bangladeshis border in Karimganj district. The party also opposed the big dam. However, after coming to power, Modi has taken a U-turn. Those who opposed the Land Swap Deal don't oppose the recent notification. A BJP leader has become a Union minister by waving the BJP flag along the Bangladesh border."

Mahanta said: "Only for political reasons, Modi wants to allow Hindu Bengalis who entered Assam after March 25, 1971 up to December 31, 2014 to stay in the State. This is sheer violation of the Assam Accord. However, former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, former Union Home Minister LK Advani and Jaswant Singh did support the Assam Agitation and the Assam Accord as well. Till 1971 since the independence of India a large number of Bangladeshis entered Assam and settled in various places in the State. If more Bangladeshis are allowed to stay here, the burden of foreigners will fall on Assam. What's the policy Centre has taken on this matter? Assam can't shoulder the burden of anymore Bangladeshis now."

The former Chief Minister also criticized the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and said that the students' body has lost its sheen. "Assamese tiolistic life is at stake in the State now. In order to ensure its safety, we all will have to be united. Assam can never shoulder the burden of anymore foreigners."