Guwahati (Assam): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that the implementation of border fencing provisions envisaged under the 1985 Assam Accord had effectively begun only in recent years, describing the delay in securing the India-Bangladesh border across northeastern states as a "historical mistake."
Speaking to reporters, Sarma said that while fencing along the Assam-Bangladesh border was initiated after the signing of the Assam Accord, similar efforts were not simultaneously extended to other bordering states, including Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal.
"Assam shares a 1,600-km border with Bangladesh. After signing the Assam Accord, we said that border fencing should be done along the Assam-Bangladesh border, and accordingly, the work was undertaken. But we did not think that fencing should be done in Meghalaya, Tripura and West Bengal as well. Our demand should have been for the entire 1,600 km border to be fenced," Sarma said.
The Chief Minister noted that large stretches of the border in neighbouring states had remained unfenced for years, facilitating cross-border movement.
"Earlier, there was no fencing in Meghalaya. Now, 90 per cent of the work has been completed there. In Tripura, around 60 per cent of the fencing work has been completed, while work is also progressing in Mizoram. In West Bengal, where around 800 km of the border remained open, the fencing process has now been taken up," he added.
Questioning the effectiveness of securing only select stretches of the international border, Sarma said, "If Siliguri is open and Mankachar is closed, then what is the meaning? These were historical mistakes."
He further said that implementation of the Assam Accord's border management provisions has now gained momentum after a long delay.
"The actual implementation of the provisions of the 1985 Assam Accord has started from 2025. We were not able to stop the Bangladeshi movement earlier," Sarma said.
Referring to concerns over demographic changes in border regions, the Assam Chief Minister said the Union Government had constituted a committee to examine the issue. Sarma added that the Assam Government would recommend a detailed scrutiny process in vulnerable areas.
"The Union Government has formed a committee on demographic changes. I think the government is going to undertake more effective measures in bordering areas concerning demographic changes. Our suggestion will be to conduct scrutiny of the citizenship status of every family residing in the bordering areas," he added.
