Himanta, Suvendu, and the remaking of India’s eastern border

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma revealed in an interview that his government has been pushing suspected undocumented Bangladeshis back across the border at night when border guards are not present. Sarma described the practice as 'push-back,' though Bangladesh officials call it 'push-in.' The Ministry of External Affairs' process for handing over such individuals is slow and unreliable, as Dhaka often refuses to accept them, leaving Assam with no formal extradition arrangement. The policy has drawn formal protests from Bangladesh, which summoned India’s Acting High Commissioner to lodge a complaint. Sarma claimed his government forced 1,400 people across the border in 2025 and continues to push back around 20 people daily. He defended the approach by stating that Assam’s polarised society requires continued political polarisation to preserve its identity, though he clarified that the divide is not strictly between Hindus and Muslims. The BJP’s recent landslide victory in West Bengal, ending 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule, has shifted power dynamics along the entire 4,096 km India-Bangladesh border. Suvendu Adhikari, a former Trinamool leader who defected in 2020, was sworn in as West Bengal’s first BJP Chief Minister. Sarma, re-elected in Assam for a second consecutive term, celebrated the West Bengal result as 'India’s victory,' marking the first time the BJP controls border management in both states. Sarma’s political career has been shaped by Assam’s long-standing tensions over migration, including the Assam agitation, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) debates, and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). He has repeatedly used social media to highlight 'push-back' operations, including a post in April 2026 with a blurred image of 20 individuals he described as 'illegal Bangladeshis,' accompanied by the message 'Laaton ke bhoot baaton se nahin maante' ('might works, rights don’t'). The shift in leadership in both Assam and West Bengal signals a unified BJP approach to border security, prioritising anti-immigration rhetoric. Under Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year rule in West Bengal, border policies were influenced by a substantial Muslim electorate and strong support in border districts. With Adhikari now in power, the BJP’s stance on immigration is expected to dominate border management across five states sharing the India-Bangladesh frontier.