04-15-2005, 10:09 PM
http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?m...t&counter_img=4
Non-BJP CMs want Centre to evict Bangladeshis
Pioneer Neews Service/ New Delhi
At CMs meet, B'deshi and Naxal menace takes centrestage--- The issue of infiltration from Bangladesh dominated the Chief Ministers' conference on Friday with chief ministers of at least seven non-BJP states asking the Centre to take steps to firmly tackle the controversial issue which posed a grave threat to national security.
The alarm bells rung by the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram should come as a wake up call for the UPA Government at the Centre, which has been reluctant to admit the danger of Bangladeshi infiltration.
The issue of illegal infiltration from Bangladesh has often generated much controversy in the political arena. While the BJP has been in the forefront of seeking strong action against the infiltrators, Congress and many of its UPA allies have been shy of admitting the problem because of votebank considerations. In many Lok Sabha seats and Assembly segments along the Bangladesh border, the infiltrators are in a position to decide the fate of candidates, which exposes the policy of appeasement being practiced by many political parties.
The meeting called to discuss internal security issues saw concern on illegal infiltration from Bangladesh emerging as the main focus of debate along with growing problems of Naxal menace.
While chief ministers of Maharashtra and West Bengal separately spoke of the danger of infiltration from Bangladesh and its linkage with ISI activities, the issue brought five chief ministers from the North East on one platform.
Alarmed by the rising illegal immigration into North-East from Bangladesh, the chief ministers of the five states of the region asked the Centre to increase security along the international borders and help them strengthen their police forces.
They also demanded that the region's insurgency problems be treated as a "national issue as in the case of Kashmir" so that these could be solved quickly.
"Steps have been taken to ensure that the demographic structure of the North-East is kept intact. The Centre should strengthen the presence of border security force along the borders with Bangladesh," Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang told a Press conference.
"They should enhance its manpower and modernise its mechanism for checking immigration. We also expect financial support for modernising our police forces," he added.
He was joined by his counterpart from Arunachal Pradesh Gegong Apang, Manipur CM O Ibobi Singh, Mizoram CM Zoramthanga and Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio.
Differences within the states on the issue of illegal immigration, however, became evident with Mr Rio virtually charging Assam with not taking steps to check it.
"Assam has almost become a breeding ground for illegal migrants as they are procuring documents like ration cards there and then coming to the hills, this is very dangerous," the Nagaland CM said.
Mr Rio also claimed that such migrants were being settled in disputed areas between Assam and several other states.
The Congress-led Maharashtra Government also made a strong plea to the Centre for greater coordination and support to tackle the problem of Bangladeshi nationals, whose "heavy influx" into the state, especially in Mumbai, posed a serious threat to the internal security.
Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, addressing the conference of internal security, said a large number of Bangladeshi nationals were settled in the slums in Mumbai and some other cities like Pune, Nagpur, Nasik, and their involvement in criminal activities and organised crime was growing.
Besides, a number of Bangladeshi girls are also finding their way into the flesh trade and dance bars of Mumbai, he said, adding that detection, arrest and deportation of the Bangladeshi nationals was "problematic and time-consuming."
Mr Deshmukh wanted a more effective, cohesive and institutionalised mechanism of intelligence sharing between the Centre and the state, considering Mumbai's special place in the overall security scenario.
He wanted the Centre to help the state set up a team for Mumbai to tackle the situation arising out of possible deployment of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists in Mumbai.
Mr Deshmukh said intelligence reports have indicated the gameplan of Pakistan's ISI of landing arms and explosives on the west coast of India and simultaneously operating through the underworld to push in fake currency to shatter the economy.
The Left Front Government of West Bengal was also equally forceful in its presentation about the threat from infiltration. Expressing serious concern over infiltration of ISI agents into India from the neighbouring country who are engaged in espionage and other 'subversive activities, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said state police along with the central agencies have been taking effective action against these elements.
West Bengal has been maintaining a strict vigil along the entire stretch of the state's international border, particularly with Bangladesh, it has put its machinery on high alert and was closely monitoring the situation, he said.
Apart from the continuing incidents of infiltration across the Indo-Bangladesh border, Mr Bhattacharya said recent intelligence inputs indicating heightened activities of the ISI and fundamentalist organisations in the neighbouring country pose a serious threat to the Eastern region of India.
Non-BJP CMs want Centre to evict Bangladeshis
Pioneer Neews Service/ New Delhi
At CMs meet, B'deshi and Naxal menace takes centrestage--- The issue of infiltration from Bangladesh dominated the Chief Ministers' conference on Friday with chief ministers of at least seven non-BJP states asking the Centre to take steps to firmly tackle the controversial issue which posed a grave threat to national security.
The alarm bells rung by the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram should come as a wake up call for the UPA Government at the Centre, which has been reluctant to admit the danger of Bangladeshi infiltration.
The issue of illegal infiltration from Bangladesh has often generated much controversy in the political arena. While the BJP has been in the forefront of seeking strong action against the infiltrators, Congress and many of its UPA allies have been shy of admitting the problem because of votebank considerations. In many Lok Sabha seats and Assembly segments along the Bangladesh border, the infiltrators are in a position to decide the fate of candidates, which exposes the policy of appeasement being practiced by many political parties.
The meeting called to discuss internal security issues saw concern on illegal infiltration from Bangladesh emerging as the main focus of debate along with growing problems of Naxal menace.
While chief ministers of Maharashtra and West Bengal separately spoke of the danger of infiltration from Bangladesh and its linkage with ISI activities, the issue brought five chief ministers from the North East on one platform.
Alarmed by the rising illegal immigration into North-East from Bangladesh, the chief ministers of the five states of the region asked the Centre to increase security along the international borders and help them strengthen their police forces.
They also demanded that the region's insurgency problems be treated as a "national issue as in the case of Kashmir" so that these could be solved quickly.
"Steps have been taken to ensure that the demographic structure of the North-East is kept intact. The Centre should strengthen the presence of border security force along the borders with Bangladesh," Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang told a Press conference.
"They should enhance its manpower and modernise its mechanism for checking immigration. We also expect financial support for modernising our police forces," he added.
He was joined by his counterpart from Arunachal Pradesh Gegong Apang, Manipur CM O Ibobi Singh, Mizoram CM Zoramthanga and Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio.
Differences within the states on the issue of illegal immigration, however, became evident with Mr Rio virtually charging Assam with not taking steps to check it.
"Assam has almost become a breeding ground for illegal migrants as they are procuring documents like ration cards there and then coming to the hills, this is very dangerous," the Nagaland CM said.
Mr Rio also claimed that such migrants were being settled in disputed areas between Assam and several other states.
The Congress-led Maharashtra Government also made a strong plea to the Centre for greater coordination and support to tackle the problem of Bangladeshi nationals, whose "heavy influx" into the state, especially in Mumbai, posed a serious threat to the internal security.
Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, addressing the conference of internal security, said a large number of Bangladeshi nationals were settled in the slums in Mumbai and some other cities like Pune, Nagpur, Nasik, and their involvement in criminal activities and organised crime was growing.
Besides, a number of Bangladeshi girls are also finding their way into the flesh trade and dance bars of Mumbai, he said, adding that detection, arrest and deportation of the Bangladeshi nationals was "problematic and time-consuming."
Mr Deshmukh wanted a more effective, cohesive and institutionalised mechanism of intelligence sharing between the Centre and the state, considering Mumbai's special place in the overall security scenario.
He wanted the Centre to help the state set up a team for Mumbai to tackle the situation arising out of possible deployment of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists in Mumbai.
Mr Deshmukh said intelligence reports have indicated the gameplan of Pakistan's ISI of landing arms and explosives on the west coast of India and simultaneously operating through the underworld to push in fake currency to shatter the economy.
The Left Front Government of West Bengal was also equally forceful in its presentation about the threat from infiltration. Expressing serious concern over infiltration of ISI agents into India from the neighbouring country who are engaged in espionage and other 'subversive activities, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said state police along with the central agencies have been taking effective action against these elements.
West Bengal has been maintaining a strict vigil along the entire stretch of the state's international border, particularly with Bangladesh, it has put its machinery on high alert and was closely monitoring the situation, he said.
Apart from the continuing incidents of infiltration across the Indo-Bangladesh border, Mr Bhattacharya said recent intelligence inputs indicating heightened activities of the ISI and fundamentalist organisations in the neighbouring country pose a serious threat to the Eastern region of India.