GUWAHATI, Aug 8: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday expressed confidence that the Centre will address the alleged attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh through diplomatic efforts.
He assured that while the Indian government is managing the situation with patience and caution, the focus remains on ensuring safety and maintaining strict vigilance along the Indo-Bangladesh border, which has been fully sealed.
“The Indian government will deal with the situation politically and diplomatically with the new dispensation. We have been asked not to comment much on it but to be patient and tolerant”, the chief minister said on the sidelines of a programme here.
“The solution does not lie in allowing those trying to enter India following persecution in the neighbouring country but to ensure their safety and security there. There are various organisations like the UN and others to deal with the situation diplomatically”, Sarma said.
Sarma further noted his reluctance to comment on the alleged attacks to avoid potential repercussions on minorities in Bangladesh.
“I am confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing everything possible to ensure the safety and security of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists in that country,” he said.
He assured that Assam is maintaining strict border security, allowing entry only to those with valid passports, visas, and bona fide Indian citizenship.
Sarma had previously indicated concerns about the situation in Bangladesh from two perspectives – the potential influx of people through the border and the risk of the neighbouring country becoming a refuge for insurgents from Northeast India.
He had asserted that there is no doubt that with the cooperation of the previous government in Bangladesh, ‘we have been successful in curbing extremist activities in Northeast India’.
He hoped that the new government in Bangladesh will also maintain the same cooperation and not allow their country to become a safe haven for NE insurgents. (PTI)
