Agencies
GUWAHATI, APRIL 18
Assam’s ruling Congress party has now developed cold feet over contentious Land Boundary Agreement.
Ironically, BJP which was initially opposed to the agreement to swap land with Bangladesh changed its stand after coming to power at the Centre.But sensing that its wholehearted support for the bill could be counterproductive for the party, ahead of 2016 assembly elections, the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has now decided to keep Assam out of the purview of the agreement. Surprisingly, the Congress now emerged as the principal opposition to the agreement, which the party led UPA government had signed in 2011.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has recently stated that the state government cannot support the agreement until Bangladesh returns the land to Assam currently under its occupation.
Significantly Gogoi was also present with then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when the agreement was signed in Dhaka.
After his return from Bangladesh, he had also expressed his satisfaction over the agreement.
But now he is retracting from his earlier stand.
On being questioned about the LBA, the chief minister sought to know about the steps being taken by the Narendra Modi government to bring back Assam's land under Bangladesh's occupation.
He also questioned BJP's initial opposition to the land deal. According to the Chief Minister the BJP was trying to rush through with the agreement keeping in mind the Assembly elections next year.
The party was doing that to woo BJP voters, he said.
BJP on the other hand also accused the chief minister and the Congress party of indulging in vote-bank politics.
A large section of the population is strongly opposed to the LBA.
The issue is linked to strong Assamese sentiment and political parties are aware of it. The BJP is, therefore, planning not to hand over Assam's land to Bangladesh at present.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju recently took everyone by surprise when he told reporters that the Constitution amendment Bill to ratify the Indo-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement might be introduced in Parliament by delinking Assam.
The Protocol to the 1974 LBA, which paves the way for settlement of the outstanding land boundary dispute between the two countries, was signed on Sep 6, 2011.
The 2011 Protocol was prepared with the full support and concurrence of the state governments of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and West Bengal. However, as the LBA was signed between two countries, India unilaterally cannot change the agreement at least without consultations with Dhaka.
