Assam pushes back 20 illegal Bangladeshis overnight as CM vows relentless crackdown

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on April 25 that 20 illegal Bangladeshi nationals were pushed back across the border overnight, adding that such operations would continue without pause.

Posting on social media platform X, Sarma invoked a well-known Hindi proverb — "Laaton ke bhoot baaton se nahin maante" — which roughly translates to "those who only understand kicks cannot be reasoned with through words" — to justify the state's forceful approach towards those who refuse to leave voluntarily.

"We continuously remind ourselves of this prophetic line when we expel infiltrators from Assam who don't leave themselves," the Chief Minister wrote, adding that Assam "will fight" and that pushbacks "will continue."

Security forces have been pushing back an estimated 20 to 30 illegal migrants daily along the Assam border, according to Sarma, who has acknowledged that large-scale deportation through formal legal channels is not practical.

The Chief Minister has framed his government's broader strategy as one of "civil disobedience and non-cooperation," inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, aimed at creating conditions that make it difficult for illegal migrants to remain in the state rather than relying solely on forced expulsions.

Sarma has also stressed the importance of distinguishing between illegal migrants and Assam's indigenous Muslim communities, warning that the latter must not be harassed and that illegal migrants should not be sheltered in their name.