Alleged infiltration of Bangladeshis into Assam

Some people from greater Mymensingh had also moved to Assam since 1940 famine in Bengal and had settled in the uninhabited areas, cultivated fallow lands and got an alternative habitat. The first time anyone raised the issue was when the Congress nominee, Mr. Bordoloi was elected as Chief Minister of Assam in 1946. He started eviction of Muslims settled in Assam. Moulana Bhashani started a movement against Bordoloi's "BONGAL KHEDA". I was a student of class VI in Karimganj Govt. High School and as a member of Shobuj Bahini took part in processions.

Mr. Bordoli's scheme was a reflection of the hidden communal face of Congress and this inner contradiction within All India Congress Party was the reason for Mohammad Ali Jinnah quitting the party and joining the Muslim League. Apparently the inner face of the Hindu Indian leadership, now in the hands of people from former greater Punjab and U. P, has not changed. Look back at their attitude towards Bangladesh in not solving various issues, rather creating problems with imaginary ones.

The central Govt of India has been accusing that due to infiltration of Bangladeshis into Assam five neighbouring thanas adjacent to Bangladesh have become Muslim majority areas. I do not have the statistics abut one thing I can say that in the then Karimgaj thana of Sylhet district, Muslims were majority when the referendum was held to determine accession of Sylthet to Pakistan. But due to the special relation that Pandit Jawaharlal Neheru had with the Mountbattens the Radcliff Award sliced our two and half thana off into India, just in order to have a communication link with Tiperah and Cachar districts. Thousands of Hindus from East Bengal entered into Assam but very few from Karimganj or Assam came to our side in return.

I was watching 'Hard Talk' in the BBC World where the Chief Minister of Assam was interviewed. He acknowledged that infiltration now is few and far between. He refuted the central Govt's contention and said infiltration included both Muslims and Hindus who had links with relations who migrated there many years ago.