By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Many people might have gone gaga over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent to Bangladesh. Modi even mentioned it as the ‘Berlin wall’ moment after signing the Land Border Agreement (LBA) deal in Dhaka.
But the matter of worry is about the outcome of the visit as far as the northeast India – which shares the border with Bangladesh. Even before the 2014 elections, Modi had been saying many things about the development of NE and solving its main problem – bringing an end to the illegal infiltration from the other side of the border.
Now, after his recent visit to Bangladesh, many in the region feel dejected even as political parties, students and others have slammed Modi for avoiding the issues related to the NE.
Main steering wheel of INS Vikrant handed over by PM Narendra Modi to his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Bangladesh during his recent visit. (PIB)
Ethnic organizations have also expressed their displeasure on the Modi visit. An umbrella organization of different ethnic groups under the banner of Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha (ASM) said the BJP had made infiltration as one of its major political planks in the region.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said Modi’s visit to the neighbouring nation exposed his lack of seriousness in tackling the important issues along the India-Bangladesh border as he did not raise them with his Bangladeshi counterpart.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Lok Sabha election campaign made promises on these issues and people of Assam supported him by sending seven BJP MPs from the state. He made such promises only to garner votes and was never serious in implementing his poll promises. We are shocked at (Modi) not raising issues of infiltration and repatriation of immigrants with Bangladesh,” Gogoi said.
He, along with Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar, also criticized Modi for not taking them along on the Bangladesh tour.
Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Assam’s main regional party said that Modi had deceived the people of the state and the region.
“We all kept on waiting for the ‘Achche Din’ but it does not seem to be coming. The recent Bangladesh tour was a disaster as far as the northeast region is concerned. Not a single issue of the region was raised. Modi’s behaviour seems that it will only encourage the illegal infiltrators. He did not raise the issue of infiltration with the Bangladeshi PM. We are shocked at this behaviour,” said AGP president Atul Bora.
He said that people have now realized that Modi government is for the corporates such as Ambanis and Adanis. “What we have seen that this government is not for the poor people of the country. We have not seen any development but things getting costlier day by day,” he added.
On the LBA deal which was signed to bring a permanent solution to the boundary dispute for 4,000 kms border and clarify the identities of 52,000 people living in enclaves, over four decades, he said, “It’s strange that BJP had opposed the land boundary agreement bill in Parliament when they were in the opposition. This indicates the dual stand of BJP.”
The ASM, on the other hand, said the treaties signed during Modi’s visit would not serve the state’s interests unless India prevailed upon Bangladesh to check infiltration and repatriation of the immigrants. “Unabated influx from the neighbouring country has threatened the identities and livelihoods of the ethnic communities in the state. Modi was most vocal about freeing Assam from infiltrators before the Lok Sabha polls. But we haven’t heard anything on infiltration during Modi’s Dhaka visit,” ASM working president Motiur Rahman said.
Asom Jatiya Gana Sangram Parishad (AJGSP), a civil society organization, has also expressed serious concern at the way in which the PM has neglected the issues related to the northeast region.
“There is absolutely no difference between Modi and (his predecessor) Manmohan Singh as regards their approach towards the issues of this region, particularly Assam. We are deeply disappointed by the PM’s behavior. Nothing went according to the promises made by the PM,” said Aroop J Kalita, the chief coordinator of AJGSP.
Before Modi’s visit to Bangladesh, AJGSP had urged the PM for a Repatriation Treaty for a permanent solution of illegal migrants.
“When Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina had herself admitted a few days ago that illegal immigrants originating from Bangladesh, has shamed them internationally, this was the right time to raise the Repatriation Treaty issue,” Kalita added.
He said since deportation of Bangladeshi infiltrators from India involved two sovereign nations, it had to be dealt on the basis of International laws.
During the visit, bus services between Dhaka and Guwahati was also started along with another bus service between Kolkata and Dhaka.
“It’s definitely a positive step. But both the governments should be active to promote tourism and trade by encouraging the people to adopt the new service. We are hopeful,” said Ranjan Dey, a Guwahati based businessman.