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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
CM Himanta vows rapid action to identify, deport foreign nationals in Assam
CM Himanta vows rapid action to identify, deport foreign nationals in Assam Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the process of identifying foreign nationals in the state would be accelerated, with legal action to follow against those already declared as foreigners. Speaking at a press conference, Sarma clarified that individuals labelled as foreigners by the Foreigners Tribunal have the right to challenge the decision in the Gauhati High Court. "We have not taken action against those who have stated that they have appeals pending before the Supreme Court or the High Court, but those who have not appealed in the higher judiciary will be pushed back," the chief minister said. He mentioned that during a recent meeting with district police heads, it was decided to intensify efforts to detect foreigners. Referring to a recent incident, Sarma said that 35 Bangladeshi nationals who entered India through the international border in Meghalaya and Silchar, Assam, had been sent back. He made it clear that if someone does not legally challenge a tribunal's declaration of them as a foreign national, "their right to stay in Assam is forfeited." "It is all about the judicial process and we are working as per the law. If the judiciary has given a stay order, we respect it, but if there is no order, they will be pushed back," he emphasised. Sarma also referred to a Supreme Court directive that called for the deportation of declared foreign nationals. Speaking about a recent case involving a retired schoolteacher, Sarma said the individual had claimed their case was pending in the Supreme Court. "Those who have the court order have been allowed to stay," he said, stressing that legal documentation must be shown to the police in such cases. Sarma explained that the overall process involves identifying foreign nationals, pushing them back where necessary, and, in some cases, working with the central government to coordinate deportation with Bangladesh. He also raised concerns that around 30,000 people declared as foreigners were untraceable. "If we find them somewhere, we will have to take action," he stated. On Thursday, the Gauhati High Court issued a notice to the state government asking for the whereabouts of two brothers declared foreigners and questioned the "arbitrary arrest of declared foreigners who are apprehending illegal push back." In recent days, the Assam Border Police have detained several individuals suspected of being Bangladeshi immigrants from different parts of the state.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bullet isn't the point
Times of India's Edit Page team comprises senior journalists with wide-ranging interests who debate and opine on the news and issues of the day. Assam's move to liberalise arms licences in some state areas can turn seriously wrong. It should scrap the policy Assam cabinet's decision to approve a special scheme to grant arms licences to 'original inhabitants' and 'indigenous citizens' in vulnerable areas of the state has rightly raised eyebrows. The last thing the Northeast needs is more guns. After years of painstaking security operations and negotiations leading to more than 10,000 militants across the region laying down their arms, giving guns back to the people defeats security objectives. It also undermines the narrative of normalisation that was taking hold in the Northeast. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says it is meant to deter threats and enhance personal security among indigenous communities in areas like Dhubri, Nagaon, Morigaon, Barpeta, South Salmara-Mankachar and Goalpara. He also cites recent developments in Bangladesh. But this would mean that Assam police and other security forces in the state haven't been able to ensure law and order. Second, Assam has a terrible history of insurgency-induced lawlessness. Kidnappings, extortion and targeted killings were rampant during the height of Ulfa terror. What if the new liberal gun licence policy turns the clock back? As a state opposition leader said, govt can give gun licences but has no control over how those guns will be used. Third, in recent years, the Northeast has been talked up as a growth hub and a key pillar of India's Act East policy. But will investments flow to the region if an atmosphere of lawlessness prevails? Note that Morigaon – where the new gun licence policy will supposedly apply – is earmarked for a semiconductor plant. Will hundreds of supporting companies required for semiconductor manufacturing make a beeline if there's no confidence in local law and order? Himanta's critics say he is playing his political games with assembly polls due next year. Whatever his reasons, he should take back the gun policy. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
India Today
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
A neck for a neck? Bangladesh's two Chicken Necks that Himanta Sarma has raked up
A neck for a neck? That's what Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma seemed to indicate after he cautioned Bangladesh about its own Chicken's Neck - not one, but two - at a time when Dhaka has raked up politics over India's Chicken's Neck corridor that connects the country to the North a press conference on Wednesday, Himanta put Bangladesh on notice amid Dhaka's growing interest in India's strategically crucial Chicken's Neck, also known as the Siliguri "We have one Chicken's Neck. But Bangladesh has two Chicken Necks. If Bangladesh attacks our Chicken's Neck, we will attack both the Chicken Necks of Bangladesh... the one in Meghalaya connecting Chittagong port in Bangladesh is even thinner than India's Chicken's Neck and is located just a stone's throw away," Sarma told fiery BJP leader also reminded Bangladesh of India's military strength, especially after Operation Sindoor, where India destroyed terror camps deep inside Pakistan and pounded 11 of its military bases. Sarma said "Bangladesh has to be reborn 14 times" before attacking Himanta's remarks are bound to ruffle Bangladesh's feathers, the timing of it is significant. The warning comes against the backdrop of reports that China is allegedly helping Bangladesh in reviving a World War II-era airbase at Lalmonirhat, just 100 km from the crucial Chicken's Neck Chicken's Neck or Siliguri Corridor refers to the slender, vulnerable strip of land - around 22 km wide - that connects the mainland to India's seven northeastern given the strategic importance of the Siliguri Corridor, the presence of the Chinese in the area is bound to put India's security agencies on fresh development comes weeks after Bangladesh's interim chief, Muhammad Yunus, brought up India's "landlocked" northeast during his visit to China and positioned the country as the "only guardian of the ocean" for this CHICKEN NECKSHowever, as Himanta correctly pointed out, Bangladesh also has two 'Chicken's Necks' similar to India's Siliguri Corridor. One corridor separates the main Bangladesh landmass from Chittagong, its largest port city - as pointed out by the Assam Chief second Chicken's Neck is believed to be the corridor south of Rangpur division that neighbours land distance from south Tripura's Sabroom, which lies on the banks of River Feni, to Mirsharai Upazila in Bangladesh, connecting Chittagong to the rest of the country, is about 30 km. The distance from Tripura and the sea, cutting across Bangladesh (Source: @YusufDFI) Blocking this narrow corridor, will separate 20% of Bangladesh's land from the main landmass. This will fully isolate Chittagong, which is crucial to Bangladesh's economy, handling over 90% of the country's export-import shortest distance between the 'landlocked' Tripura and the sea is 30 km, cutting across Bangladesh. It's also the narrowest distance from the larger mass of Bangladesh and its eastern division of Chittagong," a scholar pointed out on the other hand, if we come to the second Chicken's Neck, the distance from Meghalaya's South West Garo Hills to South Dinajpur in West Bengal, with Bangladesh's Rangpur division in between, is about 90 Watch
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Keep eyes off Chicken's Neck, Himanta warns B'desh
Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday delivered a stern warning to Bangladesh to keep its eyes off the Siliguri corridor , known as the ' Chicken's Neck ', connecting the northeast to the rest of India. "No country should be under the impression that it can take over the Chicken's Neck. The world has seen India's military prowess during Operation Sindoor ," he said in response to recent reports about a Dhaka-based Turkish Islamist group, 'Saltanat-e-Bangla', displaying maps of ' Greater Bangladesh ' comprising India's several eastern states and northeastern region and Md Yunus's invitation to China in March to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh. Yunus, during his trip to China, had said the seven states, the eastern part of India, is a landlocked region and has no way to reach out to the ocean. "They (Bangladesh) have two 'Chicken Necks', India has one. If they attack ours, we will attack their two Chicken Necks," Sarma said. He referred to the small strip of land that connects the rest of Bangladesh to Chittagong Port but did not specify the second chicken neck, which is believed to be another corridor south of Rangpur division which neighbours Meghalaya. The land distance from Sabrum in south Tirpura to Mirsharai Upazila connecting Chittagong to the rest of Bangladesh is about 40 km while the distance from South West Garo Hils to Dakshin Dinajpur in West Bengal connecting Rangpur division to the rest of Bngladesh is about 90 km. The Siliguri corridor of Chicken's Neck is a narrow strip of land measuring around 22 km that connects the NE region with the rest of India. "We talk about our 'Chicken's Neck' so that we can get tunnels, other schemes from the central govt," said Himanta. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo He added that India's strength can be gauged from 'Operation Sindoor' in which India struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "Bangladesh doesn't deserve so much attention. It is a small country and cannot be compared with India," he added. On Wednesday, Himanta had dismissed a purported map, published by a few individuals in Bangladesh, claiming parts of the northeastern state as territories of the neighbouring country. He asserted that Bangladesh is a 'small' country and does not deserve 'so much attention' as it 'cannot match' India in its prowess. On the greater Bangladesh map, Sarma said, "People can draw and publish such a map. We can also come out with a map showing Bangladesh as part of Assam. Even India and the US can be put together on a map. Just drawing up a map won't make it happen." He added that if 'maulanas' (Muslim religious leaders) from Bangladesh have drawn such a map with Assam as part of their territory, 'purohits' (priests) of India can also come out with a map including their Chittagong port in India.
India Today
15-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
What Assam's panchayat poll results reveal about Himanta's BJP and 2026 battle
Rarely do panchayat elections matter like the recent polls did in Assam's politics. It was an approval test for Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ahead of the crucial 2026 Assembly elections. Himanta is heading a BJP government that's in for the second term and will be facing anti-incumbency, amid a sign in the Lok Sabha election that the Congress was on the Himanta and the BJP have received a resounding approval even as they eye over 100 seats in the 126-member Assembly in next year's polls. The Assembly elections in Assam are likely to take place by April panchayat polls were being seen as a litmus test for the Himanta-led Assam BJP and revealed that schemes like Orunodoi, Nijut Moina, and Mahila Udayamita got a thumbs up from voters. That the panchayat elections might have been the semi-final before the 2026 Assam polls was revealed when Himanta led an intense campaign for the BJP-led NDA. He called for a "triple-engine sarkar".BJP-LED NDA SWEEPS ASSAM PANCHAYAT POLLSThe Assam panchayat elections delivered a sweeping victory for the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led NDA secured 76% of zila parishad and anchalik panchayat seats, which is a significant jump from 55% in 2018, while Congress's share plummeted from 35% to 18%.advertisementThe NDA won 300 of 397 zila parishad and 1,436 of 2,192 anchalik panchayat seats, with the BJP alone clinching 1,265 anchalik of the NDA's 300, the BJP alone won 272, according to Congress could just manage 72 zila parishad seats, in a contest that the BJP strong and decisive performance by the BJP, ahead of the Assam elections scheduled between March and April 2026, signals a positive momentum for the party, which has been incumbent in the state since Assam local body poll result also comes less than a year after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, where the opposition Congress won three out of 13 seats, maintaining its 2019 performance. Notably, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi snatched Jorhat, which was turned into a prestige battle by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa for the BJP, the local body polls have served as a critical barometer for the upcoming 2026 Assembly OPTIMISTIC OF 104 OUT OF 126 SEATS IN 2026 ASSEMBLY ELECTIONEven as the BJP held a commanding lead in the trends during the vote count, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confidently claimed that the party would perform "even better" in the 2026 Assembly the panchayat election, it is the village. The BJP is even stronger in cities. So when urban results come together with village results, this result will get even better. Today, I think the potential of the BJP is to win 104 seats [out of 126 Vidhan Sabha seats]," Sarma was quoted as saying by The Indian optimistic Sarma, however, acknowledged a gap between potential and reality, adding, "But there is always a gap between potential and reality... I think there is a very strong possibility of winning around 95"."We've proven that we deliver, even in challenging times. Our next goal is to repeat this performance in the Vidhan Sabha elections," Sarma was quoted as saying by the Assam WIPEOUT ON GAURAV GOGOI'S TURF JORHATCurrently, the ruling BJP has 64 MLAs in the 126-member Assam Assembly. Its allies, the AGP, has nine MLAs and the UPPL has seven. The BJP-led NDA also has the support of five independent CM Sarma also targeted Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, following the party's complete wipeout in the eastern districts of Jorhat and Sivasagar, both falling under the latter's Jorhat Lok Sabha seat, reported The fact, Himanta started the panchayat poll campaign from Jorhat. It isn't surprising because of the personal battle between Himanta and Gaurav who had campaigned extensively before the panchayat elections, had sought the support of the people for "a triple-engine" government in BJP's sweeping victory in Assam's panchayat elections has reaffirmed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's political dominance. The local body poll victory has also set the BJP in position to push for its ambitious "triple-engine" vision in Assam.
