Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Shinde to assess situation along border

By Spl CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI, Aug 22 � With the focus trained on unabated illegal influx from across the border Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that he is planning to visit the international border in Assam sector to gain a first hand knowledge.

This was conveyed to a delegation of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) by the Union Home Minister when they called on him on Thursday. A 14-member delegation led by party president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has arrived in the capital to stage a demonstration against the State Government�s failure to restore peace and normalcy in the State and its failure to implement the Assam Accord.

Briefing newsmen, the AGP president said that the root cause of all problems being faced by the State was the failure of the Government to implement the Assam Accord. The AGP demanded update of the National Register of Citizens of 1951 and sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border.

It was when the AGP delegation pointed out that a large portion of the international border still remained unfenced, the Union Home Minister conveyed that he is planning to visit Assam and tour the border areas to assess the ground situation, said an AGP leader.

The AGP also lodged a protest over the attempt to review the Assam Accord. President Pranab Mukherjee has said in his Independence Day speech that there was a need to revisit Assam Accord.

The President�s remark about �revisiting the Assam Accord to present-day conditions�, smacks of hidden intentions of the Government. The people of Assam wanted implementation of the Assam Accord in letter and spirit with subsequent verdict given by Supreme Court scraping the Illegal Migrants Determination by Tribunal Act. Any attempt to revisit Assam Accord with an intention to undermine the pact will have serious repercussions not only in Assam or North-Eastern Region but in the entire country.

The AGP delegation said in a memorandum the current situation emerged because of indifferent attitude of both the Central and the State governments in addressing the root cause of the problems over the years. What was done over these years was to confuse the people on the core issues involved. The Assam Accord continues to be an undelivered promise by the Centre, the regional party said.

Next Story