Guwahati Oct 18: The All Assam Minority Students Union (AAMSU) on Friday reiterated its call for the Centre and the Assam government to take immediate action to seal the international border with Bangladesh across all northeastern states.
This call comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s verdict upholding Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, which reinforces the cut-off date established by the Assam Accord for the detection and deportation of illegal immigrants.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Friday, AAMSU president Rejaul Karim Sarkar expressed frustration over the government’s failure to seal the international border with Bangladesh, despite the passage of 39 years since the signing of the historic Assam Accord in 1985.
“Why the government has not taken concrete steps to curb the influx of foreign nationals from Bangladesh, a key issue outlined in the Accord,” Sarkar questioned.
The sealing of the international border with Bangladesh remains a key demand, as many in Assam feel that unchecked migration has led to significant demographic changes in the state, sparking long-standing concerns over identity, citizenship, and the preservation of Assamese culture.
Sarkar acknowledged the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, which affirms March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date for identifying and deporting illegal immigrants in Assam. However, he clarified that the verdict is simply a reiteration of what was already agreed upon in the Assam Accord and subsequently incorporated into law. According to Sarkar, there is little to celebrate about the ruling, as it merely confirms the rationale behind the Assam Accord’s provisions.
Sarkar also criticized Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his party, accusing them of attempting to politicize the cut-off date issue and undermining the Assam Accord.
The AAMSU leader reiterated the demand for the government to expedite the process of detecting and deporting illegal foreign nationals, strictly adhering to the 1971 cut-off date agreed upon in the Accord.
