KOKRAJHAR, April 27 - Illegal influx from Bangladesh is the greatest threat to the BTC area as the flow of illegal immigrants is still high in the region. People of the region will become marginalized soon if the influx from the neighbour country is not stopped. This was asserted by Federation of New States in India (FNS) president Baba RK Dev Tomar while interacting with media-persons at Kokrajhar today.
A delegation of the FNS, which visited the BTC headquarters here and extended their support to the creation of a separate Bodoland state, had a meeting with the statehood movement leaders and also resolved to back the movement for Bodoland.
Talking to media-persons Tomar said, as the Bangladeshis can very easily get voter identity cards and claim Indian citizenship, time is not far when Bangladeshis would be the majority and rule the Bodoland area. He added that people of BTC area will see the situation as it happened in Tripura due to unabated illegal influx from Bangladesh.
Tomar said Bodoland is a genuine and longstanding demand of the Bodos who have their own rich tradition, culture and language. The creation of Bodoland has become a necessity to safeguard the indigenous people and their land from the illegal Bangaldeshi migrants.
�Tripura is the example, where the local indigenous people have become a minority in their own land at the hands of the migrant Bangaladeshis who now rule Tripura now. The same thing is happening in Assam, more so in Bodoland region, where the migrants are occupying precious lands. This can be stopped only if a separate Bodoland state is created,� he said.
�We (FNS) have helped in the formation of new states before and we will also do so for Bodoland state along with Gorkhaland, Vidharba and others who are demanding statehood,� Tomar said.
The federation president claimed that the Centre has made up its mind to create new states by 2019. �We have specific information after interacting with senior BJP leaders and MPs in Delhi that by 2019, the Central government intends to create new states. The need of the hour is for all political parties of Bodoland to voice their demand in unison and create pressure on the government. It happened when Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and most recently Telangana were formed,� he said adding �We want that Bodoland state, which is a very old demand, should also be formed when the government creates new states.�
The FNS is organising a seminar on the issue of smaller states on May 28 in Nagpur where Central BJP leaders, including Nitin Gadkari and Telegana Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao, are likely to be present.
�Issues on creation of smaller states would be discussed at the seminar and the federation would pressure the government for creation of smaller states for better development and people�s participation. We are also collecting signatures of MPs to get a majority,� he said.
It may be mentioned that the FNS is a Delhi-based organisation formed by leaders seeking creation of smaller states for better administration and all-round development of all communities.
