'Provocative': Himanta, NE netas slam Yunus for 'gateway to ocean' remark

GUWAHATI:

Bangladesh

's in terim govt chief adviser Muhammad Yunus sparked a political firestorm Tuesday, with his remarks that China could use his country as a conduit to "make extensions" in India's landlocked northeastern region. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and politicians across party lines warned against any external attempts to manipulate the region's strategic position.
During a recent speech in China, Yunus referred to the northeastern region as landlocked and positioned Bangladesh as their gateway to the ocean. "They have no way to reach out to the ocean. We are the only guardian of the ocean for this region," he said.
Sarma said such narratives have previously been echoed by separatist forces and called on Union govt to take decisive steps to counter them. "Such provocative statements by Md Yunus must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas," he wrote on X. The CM said Yunus's comments reinforce the historical vulnerability associated with the "chicken's neck" corridor - a narrow (22km in length; 60km in width), strip of land in north Bengal that connects the North-east to rest of India.
He proposed constructing underground road and rail routes through the corridor and an alternative connection via Bhutan to counter perceived strategic threat.

Other northeastern politicians echoed Sarma's concerns. Manipur's former CM N Biren Singh of BJP said: "It is apparent that Md Yunus and his interim govt in Bangladesh are attempting to frame the North-east as a strategic pawn to serve their geopolitical ambitions."
Tripura's Tipra Motha chief Pradyut Kishor Manikya Debbarma suggested a radical approach. "Rather than spending billions on innovative and challenging engineering ideas, we might as well break up Bangladesh and have our own access to the sea," he wrote on X.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi described Yunus's statements as "deeply concerning and unacceptable".