Fourteen contingents drawn from the BSF, Assam Rifles, Centre and State-Police, Home Guards NCC, Girl Guides, Boy Scout and school students took part in the Republic Day celebrations at the Polo grouuds on Jan 26. Mr E. K. Mawlong, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Speaker took the salute.
Besides a shower of flowers on the national flag, the highlights included an aerial display of the tri-colour by air-force helicopters. Other attractions at the parade were two elephants of the State Forest Department, cultural pageants put up by the Jaintias, Khasis and Garos, and Bihu and Bhangra dances. Display of weaponry and field communication systems by tue Army and tableaux of the Meghalaya Agriculture, Soil Conservation, Tourism Departments, and the State Electricity Board were also paraded.
In his speech, Mr Mawlong recalled the roles played by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and others in the freedom struggle. He went on to inform that steps had been taken to cope with the problem of infiltratton by foreigners. The border patrol, had been intensified, four watch posts and ten patrol posts had been set up, and five check gates and four passport check posts were functioning in the state.
He added that 604 registered Village Defence Parties, and 214 unregistered ones were also helping in checking large scale immigration. A specia1 squad had also been set up to check and detect infiltrators into the State. The one-man tribunal had already disposed off 219 cases out of the 251 referred to it. Two more foreigners tribunals are to be set up in the Jaintia and Garo Hills respectively.