By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: With the Bangladeshis from across the border continuing with their extortion and other illegal activities, the villagers residing along the international border are being told to maintain peace and harmony by the BSF.
“It is really shocking that instead of taking action against the Bangladeshis who are intruding into the Indian border, the BSF is pressurizing the villagers to maintain peace and harmony,” Rangbah Shnong of Lapalang village, Oberness Marsynting told reporters after the meeting convened by the Federation of Ri-War Mihngi Local Dorbars (FORMLD) to deliberate on the contentious issue of safety in border areas on Saturday.
Marsynting said that this appeal of the BSF to maintain peace is totally justified if the Bangladeshis also adhere to the same.
“With the Bangladeshis taking advantage of the situation, it has become impossible for the villagers to tolerate this ”the Rangbah Shnong said.
He adding that the village Dorbar Shnong had recently unanimously taken a decision that if the situation demands they would not hesitate to shoot if the Bangladeshis entered into their land.
“We are forced to do this for the protection of our lives and property,” Marsynting added.
Meanwhile, Sordar of Raid Nongjri P Rynjah also maintained that shooting against the Bangladeshi intruders is more out of compulsion rather than a blatant thought of killing a man.
Dwelling on the type of assaults on Indian civilians and raids carried out by the Bangladeshis on the orchards, Rynjah said: “We hire armed chowkidars (guards) to keep vigil on our orchards, and they resort to firing from their licensed guns to thwarted the Bangladeshi robbers who usually come in hordes”.
“Such raids by the Bangladeshis happen after the month of October when arecnut matures”, Rynjah said. He added: “Our hired guards are forced to fire to foil such robbery in our plantations”.
“We don’t want to kill people but on numerous counts, our guards were compelled to pull the trigger to foil their frustrated moves,” stated the Sordar of Nongjri.
