No fencing, influx unabated from Bangladesh: BJP

Guwahati, Aug 3 (UNI) The unfenced and almost unguarded border with Bangladesh in Assam and Meghalaya has been witnessing unabated flow of illegal immigrants, with the flood water also failing to keep them back, the Bharatiya Janata Party said today. A team of the BJP, which visited a sector of the international border, had tales of alleged gross insufficiency on part of the government in guarding the porous borders. The BJP will submit a report on the visit to the Union Home ministry and urged for regional cooperation for pushing back the Bangladeshis. BJP spokesperson Chandan Sharma informed over telephone that the team had visited Mankachar sector in Assam and Mahendraganj and Dalu in Meghalaya yesterday. They are visiting the Dowki sector today. He said there was almost no fencing along this over 90 km sector and troops of Bangladeshis entered Indian territory right in front of the team, with the BSF guards standing mute spectators. He said,'' We saw a boat enter India through the gate in Mankachar. When we took them to the BSF guards for verification, they produced visas. But even with visas, they are not authorized to enter Indian territory in that fashion.'' The flood waters, which had reached the border road on the Indian side, also failed to keep out the Bangladeshi infiltrators, he said, adding that BSF jawans posted there told them that the Bangladeshis swam up to two km to reach the Indian side. Mr Sharma said the old fencing had broken down and most of the portions were unguarded. BSF jawans were positioned 50 mt from each other, which left a vast gap for the illegal migrants to enter. At night, the jawans mostly huddle at a spot and the Bangladeshis enter India without the slightest resistance, he added. The situation had come to such a pass that people from either side visited the other country even to attend social functions and the border guards were the least bothered about this free movement across the border. The BJP spokesperson said the people on the Indian side lived in fear of the Bangladeshi infiltrators as the latter carried out robbery on the Indian territory and Indians worked as informers for these robbers. Not just robbery, the people across the border were also involved in stealing cattle and other nefarious activities. The porous borders were also used for smuggling drugs from India to Bangladesh, the BJP spokesperson alleged.

Moreover, the Bangladeshis were also involved in smuggling of cattle and other manufactured items, and evaded tax payment to the Indian government. ''Though we did not see any Bangladeshi currency in the open, smuggled Bangladeshi goods had flooded the Indian side,'' Mr Sharma said. He said the BSF jawans mostly played the role of mute spectators and claimed that the situation was well under control. He said the border areas were turning into'' completely minority areas and the Bangladeshis mingling freely with the Indians as genuine citizens of India.'' On a possible solution to the problem, BJP MP from Arunachal Pradesh Khiren Rijiju said the NE states had to work in tandem to achieve it. He said,'' Just like Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, all the states must push back the infiltrators. All states should cooperate and not give them clean chit for political benefits.'' Mr Rijiju said the party would submit an assessment report to the Union government. It will also study the legal aspects involved in pushing back suspected nationals.

UNI