India will not remain silent over Bangladesh’s repeated threats of merging Northeast with it: Himanta

way2barak, Dec 17: As India marked Vijay Diwas, commemorating its historic victory in the 1971 war that led to the liberation of Bangladesh, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma delivered a sharp rebuttal to provocative remarks made by a Bangladeshi political leader suggesting the separation of Northeast India.

Victory Day, observed annually on December 16 in both India and Bangladesh, honours the Indian Armed Forces’ decisive triumph in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and the birth of Bangladesh as an independent nation.

However, the solemn occasion was overshadowed by controversial comments from Hasnat Abdullah, a leader of Bangladesh’s National Citizen Party (NCP), who warned that Dhaka could allegedly shelter forces hostile to India, including separatist groups, and even threatened to cut off India’s Seven Sisters, a term referring to the northeastern states.

The Seven Sisters include Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, four of which Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram share a land border with Bangladesh, making the remarks particularly sensitive from a security standpoint.

Reacting strongly, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma termed such rhetoric baseless, dangerous and completely misguided. Speaking to reporters in Guwahati, Sarma said that similar statements had surfaced repeatedly over the past year from across the border, attempting to question India’s territorial integrity.

“India is a very large country, a nuclear power and one of the world’s strongest economies. The idea that Bangladesh can even think of separating the Northeast from India is unrealistic and reflects a poor mindset,” Sarma said.

He further cautioned that India would not remain silent if such narratives continue, stressing that New Delhi would not extend unconditional cooperation in the face of statements that undermine its sovereignty. The Chief Minister emphasised that any attempt to provoke instability or challenge India’s territorial unity would be met with a firm and clear response.