'Offensive, strongly condemnable': Himanta on Yunus's '7 Indian states landlocked' remark

Yunus met President Xi Jinping and signed nine agreements with Beijing during the trip

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday described Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ remark, referring to India’s northeastern states as landlocked, as “offensive”.

"The statement made by Md Younis of Bangladesh so called interim Government referring to the seven sister states of Northeast India as landlocked and positioning Bangladesh as their guardian of ocean access, is offensive and strongly condemnable. This remark underscores the persistent vulnerability narrative associated with India’s strategic “Chicken’s Neck” corridor. Historically, even internal elements within India have dangerously suggested serving this critical passageway to isolate the Northeast from the mainland physically," the Assam CM posted on X.

According to Sarma, it is "imperative" to develop more robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chicken’s Neck corridor. "Additionally, exploring alternative road routes connecting the Northeast to mainland India, effectively bypassing the Chicken’s Neck, should be prioritised. Though this may pose significant engineering challenges, it is achievable with determination and innovation. Such provocative statements by Md Younis must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas," he said.

Yunus has urged Beijing to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh, controversially mentioning that India’s northeastern states being landlocked could prove to be an opportunity.

The remark, apparently made during Yunus’ recent four-day visit to China, surfaced on social media on Monday. Yunus, who met President Xi Jinping and signed nine agreements with Beijing during the trip, said, “The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the seven sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean.” Calling Bangladesh as the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region, he said this could be a huge opportunity and could be an extension of the Chinese economy.

Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economy advisory council, posted the video on X and questioned why Yunus mentioned India’s northeastern region. “Interesting that Yunus is making a public appeal to the Chinese on the basis that 7 states in India are land-locked. China is welcome to invest in Bangladesh, but what exactly is the significance of 7 Indian states being landlocked?” he said.m

Yunus, while embarking on his return journey on Saturday, said in China that it is “important” for his country to see Beijing as a good friend. “It’s very important that we see China as our good friend,” Yunus said, projecting Beijing as a balancing factor against New Delhi. He expects bilateral relations to enter a new stage, Yunus told Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency in an interview.

(With PTI inputs)