VHP concerned at infiltration, border management, opposes land swap
SILCHAR, July 7: All India Secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Rajesh Singh Pankaj said his organization was totally against transfer of land to Bangladesh and this stand during the UPA regime remained unchanged under NDA Government as well. He made this statement while addressing a press–meet here on Sunday to announce the programme to celebrate the golden jubilee of VHP. Though he refused to make any comment on the policy of the new Government at the Centre on land swap with Bangladesh, he left no room for doubt that not even a single inch of land of the country would be allowed to be handed over to Bangladesh. On yet another burning issue of illegal migration from across the border, Rajesh Singh favoured tougher measures by the Centre to check it. He was however highly critical of the border management with gaping holes that allowed Bangladeshis to infiltrate and mingle with the vast multitude.
The VHP leader at the same time expressed his serious concern at the tottering condition of fencing along vast stretches of the border, neglected during the previous Congress rule with cosmetic cover ups. In other words, as he said, infiltration or migration of illegal migrants was never a matter of concern for the Congress even at the state level. The unabated influx, he pointed out, had seriously affected the demographic structure of Assam which Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, described as the epicentre of infiltration. But, he repeated the assertion of the saffron outfits that Hindus victims of persecutions in Bangladesh, erstwhile East Pakistan, should be given shelter and citizenship and the basis of which would be 1951 as cut off year.
Rajesh Singh Pankaj welcomed the move of the NDA Government to update National Register of Citizens by 2016 which he said would facilitate identification of the illegal migrants in Assam. But, for that the Government of Assam had to be serious and sincere in updating the NRC, now caught in controversy and judicial scrutiny, he pointed out.
Rajesh Singh Pankaj did not miss on the occasion to say that VHP was against proselytisation or conversion. According to him, around 1.50 lakh Hindus who had been converted by allurement or coercion by the missionaries in different parts of the country would be brought back to their original fold. He declined to elaborate on the plan of action, but he looked optimistic about achieving the target.
The 50 year of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Rajesh Singh Pankaj said would be celebrated across the country in a befitting manner for which year long programme had been planned. All the units and branches of the Parishad were making their own preparations to make the occasion memorable, eventful and remarkable. The inauguration of the celebration would be held on August 16 at Sandipani Ashram, Mumbai, where VHP was initiated. Following day, golden jubilee celebration processions would be brought out in different parts of the country. The whole November would be earmarked for blood donation and the target is to collect 5 lakh units of blood at 5000 locations. Taking note of loss of greenery, 11 lakh plantations would be carried out.
The overall message of this grand celebration would be to bring about unity, harmony and cohesion among the Hindus. It would be relevant to mention that the south–east branch of VHP here covers Barak Valley, Dima Hasao district, Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur spread over 24 districts as a whole with 19 sub branches headed by 140 chiefs. At 64 locations, the celebration would be observed. Other leaders present at the press–meet included Paritosh Chanda, working president of the unit, in–charge Dibyendu Shekhar Bhattacharya, publicity secretary Manoj Chakraborty and secretary Mrinal Kanti Das.