Northeast states intensify vigil to curb infiltration; task forces being formed

Imphal/Shillong, July 24 Various state governments in the northeast region further heightened their vigil against the infiltrations from the neighbouring countries, especially from Bangladesh and Myanmar, officials said on Thursday.

Several state governments, including Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya and Assam, have ordered district authorities to strengthen their vigil to curb infiltration attempts from neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The Assam government has recently intensified its eviction operations in some districts, including Barpeta, Lakhimpur, Hojai and Nagaon, Goalpara, targeting people allegedly encroaching on government and forest lands, many of whom are suspected to be illegal immigrants.

Many families have been displaced in the eviction drive.

In view of the Assam government's eviction operations, the Meghalaya and Nagaland governments have also asked the district authorities to take suitable steps so that no displaced persons from the neighbouring state (Assam) enter the two states.

The Meghalaya government has asked all Deputy Commissioners to maintain close coordination with the police and Border Security Force (BSF) to curb any unauthorised entry from both neighbouring states and countries.

The Nagaland government's directives to all Deputy Commissioners in the districts said, in view of the eviction drive against illegal immigrants undertaken by the Assam government, there is apprehension/risk that some displaced individuals may attempt to cross into Nagaland.

"In this regard, all Deputy Commissioners are hereby directed to heightened vigilance and take proactive measures to prevent any potential influx of illegal immigrants within your respective jurisdiction. This proactive approach is crucial for maintaining Law and Order and for safeguarding the demographic integrity of our state," the Nagaland government's order read.

The actions of some of the northeastern states followed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs' recent circular, directing all states and Union Territories across the country to verify the credentials of persons suspected to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

If the documents of foreign citizens are found to be fake, they will face deportation, the MHA circular had said.

In Meghalaya, the BSF has also heightened surveillance along the India-Bangladesh border. In recent weeks, BSF personnel in Meghalaya apprehended many Bangladeshi nationals, including women and children, for entering India and travelling without valid documents.

In Manipur, in view of apprehension of influx of illegal migrants, especially due to the turmoil situations in neighbouring countries, the Manipur government asked all 16 district authorities to keep the highest vigil along the state's international and inter-state boundaries.

Commissioner (Home) N. Ashok Kumar asked the district authorities to form district-level task forces to detect infiltrators and to take suitable action.

Kumar suggested forming the district-level task force under the leadership of the Additional Superintendent of Police of the District.

Other officials to be included in the task force are an official from the Deputy Commissioner’s office, a representative of Assam Rifles or BSF or CRPF, as desired by the team leader and a biometric staff.

The Commissioner (Home) in his directive said that all Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police shall keep robust mechanisms to prevent anyone from crossing into state boundaries illegally and shall ensure to maintain utmost vigil at international, inter-state and inter-district boundaries so as to prevent any such movement.

Any illegal movement, if detected, should be immediately reported, and biometric details of such persons should be captured mandatorily, the order said, adding that such illegal migrants shall have to be kept in put at secured designated locations for providing shelter and humanitarian support without allowing them to get mixed up or naturalised with local people.

In Tripura, the state government would constitute district-level task forces in all eight districts of the state to detect and deport infiltrators staying in the bordering state.

A senior police official in Agartala said that the 'Task Force' has already been constituted in West Tripura district, and will be formed in the remaining seven districts.

"A senior police official of the district would be the head of the Task Force, and officers-in-charge of various police stations of the concerned district would be the members," the official told IANS, refusing to be named.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP ally Tipra Motha Party (TMP) has been organising different types of agitation in Tripura for the past two months, demanding the push-back of "illegal migrants" from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The tribal past party has demanded the strict implementation of the orders from the MHA concerning the identification, detention, and deportation of illegal migrants.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha earlier said that infiltrators from Bangladesh also realised that the state is not a safe zone for them, adding that all security agencies are on a high alert to prevent infiltrators from entering India.

"After the trouble began in Bangladesh last year, security forces maintained a close vigil along the border to foil any kind of infiltration bid," CM Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, had told the media.

Four Indian northeastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam share a 1,880-km border with Bangladesh, while Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram share a 1,643-km border with Myanmar.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor