Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Saturday that Hindus are not crossing the border from Bangladesh into India, despite ongoing tensions.
Sarma claimed that in the past month, there have been no reported cases of Hindus crossing into Assam, while 35 Bangladeshi Muslims have been arrested for attempted border infiltration.
This statement follows the recent apprehension of two Bangladeshi nationals at Badarpur railway station on Friday night. The individuals, Masum Khan (36) from Modelganj and Sonia Akhtar (15) from Dhaka, were detained by Assam Police.
Sarma criticized the tendency to blame Hindus for border issues, emphasizing that recent arrests involved Muslims attempting to enter India, not Hindus.
He noted, “Today, I tweeted about the arrest of two Bangladeshi Muslims in Karimganj, who were subsequently pushed back. There is a misconception that only Hindus are involved in such issues. In reality, Hindus in Bangladesh are not seeking to enter India; they are requesting our Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urge the Bangladeshi government to ensure their safety.”
Sarma observed that since recent violence in Bangladesh, no Hindus have attempted to cross into Assam. He emphasized that Bangladeshi Muslims attempting to enter India are heading towards other states like Bengaluru or Tamil Nadu, using Assam merely as a transit corridor.
He further explained that Hindus, having deep ties to their birthplace in Bangladesh, have chosen not to migrate, and their situation should be respected. He also mentioned that the closure of the textile industry in Bangladesh has led to labor migration towards Tamil Nadu.
