National political leadership cannot be absolved of serious instances of unpardonable intransigence in policy planning. When party politics overtakes vital national interests, turmoil and instability are its consequences. The entire issue of infiltration into Assam of millions of Bangladeshis after 1971 on work permit was intentionally politicized. Incumbents took the cue and locals got alarmed: national leadership faltered and failed to create atmosphere of congeniality. The actors did not have the vision to foresee the abysmal consequences of their acts of commission. Behind the cover of humanism, no country would be prepared to sacrifice its national interests. This should have been of immense concern to our local as well as national leadership.
One fails to understand the logic of bringing the onus of spreading of rumours and canards or broadcasting inflammatory photographs to the doorsteps of Pakistan. If the Home Ministry had input from its intelligence chapters of possible subversion by the enemy, what precautionary steps did it take to dispel the fear? None whatsoever. The strange thing is that the Chief Minister of Assam has echoed the accusations of the Home Secretary. He did not respond when the Prime Minister wrote to him to control the situation. The scars of partition of the country are sill green while new scars are inflicted. Those who covertly connived at the Assam conundrum have brought the country to the brink of inter-regional and inter-communal disaster. The forced exodus of thousands of people of NE from crucial states like Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamilnadu may resound with enhanced fury. Remember that Pakistan’s former President Zia had said that India would be bled by a thousand cuts. Kashmir and Assam are the first two of inflicted cuts. But our own leadership has not lagged behind in inflicting the gravest of all cuts.
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