PM’s Assam visit

— Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent visit to Assam with an eye on the next Lok Sabha poll has left the indigenous people of the State unhappy, even angry. They are glad that the PM laid the foundation stone of the Jorhat Medical College and announced an education package with proposals to create world-class educational institutions in the State–a world-class university, an institute of petroleum technology and a national design institute on the pattern of the well-known National Institute of Design at Ahmedabad. Importantly, however, the PM failed to address the core issues facing the State: illegal infiltration, increasing terrorism sponsored by Bangaldesh and initiation of the dialogue process with the ULFA. They expected the PM to deal with these issues against the backdrop of the recent observation by the Gauhati High Court that Bangladeshis had already become “kingmakers” in Assam What is more, Pakistan’s ISI is pushing ahead with its design to establish a Greater Islamic State of Bangladesh including Assam. This, according to the Gauhati High Court, is a most serious threat that faces the State and its indigenous people. source: assam tribune