New Delhi: On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi issued a stark warning, asserting that the large-scale infiltration in India’s Northeast is a deliberate, strategic move aimed at engineering another partition of the nation. Speaking at the “Seema Vimarsh” conference at Delhi University’s historic Vice-Regal Lodge, Ravi claimed this migration goes beyond a simple search for livelihood.
“The kind of infiltration taking place in Bengal, Assam, and other Northeastern states is not just people coming here for a better life and economic opportunities, but it is strategic for another partition… a work in progress,” he said. The Governor stressed the gravity of the threat, stating, “no army can stop this,” and that it concerns “Bharat’s unity and integrity.” He lamented that since independence, successive governments have treated the Northeast as a distant frontier, leaving its people to fend for themselves. This neglect, he claimed, has led to internal conflicts that did not exist before 1947.
Ravi also credited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for its work in fostering a sense of inclusion among the people of the region. He thanked the organisation’s workers for their efforts, stating, “A group that has always worked in the Northeast for the betterment and to enhance inclusion is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.”
The event also featured strong remarks from Delhi University’s Vice-Chancellor, Yogesh Singh, who presided over the session. Singh called for the Indian Army to stop playing the tune ‘Sare Jahan Se Acha’ because its writer, poet Muhammad Iqbal, believed in the cultural incompatibility of Hindus and Muslims. “Our army too plays ‘Sare jahan se acha Hindustan hamara’… The army should not play this song because the people of our country agreed with ‘Sare Jahan Se Acha Hindustan Hamara’, but he (Iqbal) himself never believed in it,” Singh stated. He revealed that Delhi University had decided not to teach Iqbal and urged other universities to consider dropping the poet from their syllabi.
Singh further emphasised the need for academic debates on border security, arguing that India’s history of foreign attacks was a consequence of insecure boundaries. He also criticised the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, saying India’s interests were not adequately protected. He praised the current government for putting the treaty “in abeyance,” a move he saw as a step towards rectifying past mistakes.
The two-day conference, organised by Seema Jagran Manch, Motilal Nehru College (Evening), and the Centre for Independence and Partition Studies, aims to discuss the “Impact on Socio-Economic, Cultural, and Milieu” of cross-border infiltration. The event drew a diverse crowd, including university vice-chancellors, government officials, foreign delegates, army veterans, and academicians, underscoring the widespread interest in the issue.