Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)

Udupi, Nov 24: Governor of Assam and Nagaland, P B Acharya, who hails from Udupi, on Tuesday November 24 visited his home district to deliver a special lecture on 'National emotional integration, learning of tribal dialects and respecting diversity' organized by North East Study Centre, department of geo politics and international relations, Manipal University here.

In his address, P B Acharya said, "I feel proud to be the old student of MGM College and Manipal University. Language is our identity, born with our mother tongue. India is a secular country. Nobody can beat India. Every tribe has its own identity and everybody is proud of their identity. Everyone should be nationalist first and then internationalist. All tribals should be treated with equality.

"Tribals are our people, but we do not know about our own people. Politically we are good, but we need to be united emotionally also. Nobody is second to anyone.

"This is the time for national integration. We should also think about north-eastern states. Tribes in Assam and Nagaland are living a simple life, and I am happy that Manipal University is providing an opportunity to understand their culture.

"Unless we speak up and unite, there can be no progress. If we do not understand the north-eastern states and pay attention to them, India will not develop. There are agreements made with each other, but they all stand on faith, trust, honesty and efficiency," he said.

He also invited Manipal University to establish schools and colleges in north-eastern states.

"Unity and diversity is the specialty of our nation. India is known for charity, prosperity and peace. Let us develop our nation and make it as strong as we can. A majority of our population is young, and youth are the strength of the country. The youth should come forward and invest, or else we will fall behind," he added.

"Hindu Bangladeshis are persecuted refugees, Muslim Bangladeshis are infiltrators"

Speaking on the sidelines, P B Acharya said, "The National Register of Citizens (NRC) of Assam is to be updated, but people feared that it would not be done by this December and foreigners would cast their votes in the coming elections. The central government has stated that Bangladeshi refugees would be accepted as citizens. But one press reporter asked why Bangladeshi Muslims are not given citizenship. Bangladeshi Muslims are infiltrators, they are not persecuted in Bangladesh. Hindus have come because they are persecuted there, because they are Hindus. They have left everything there and come, they have no other place to go, and the central government has said all Hindu Bangladeshis who have come to Assam till now will be considered as citizens. Bangladeshi Muslims are also welcome, but why do they have to come when they are not persecuted there? They can come and work here if they get work permit, but they do not political rights. Unless north-east becomes strong, India cannot progress, that is PM Modi's statement. And it is going to happen."

Clarifying his statement that had created a controversy, wherein he was quoted as saying 'Muslims can go to Pakistan', he said, "Hindus who are persecuted in Bangladesh are refugees and they have no place to go other than India. One reporter asked me, 'then what about Bangladeshi Muslims?' and I said, they also have a right to come if they are persecuted, but why will they come when they are not persecuted? They have two places to go - either they can come to India or go to Pakistan. This statement was given in a different way in the press. I did not say this country belongs to Hindus. Persecuted Hindus have no place to go and it is our duty to give them protection."

"Remember one word - we are eight states there - they stand for Namaste - N for Nagaland, A for Assam, M for Meghalaya, Mizoram and Manipur, A for Arunachal, S for Sikkim, T for Tripura and E for East," he added.