From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: The Northeastern region has witnessed qualitative and quantitative changes in the security scenario in the recent years, though the insurgents continue to pose threat to the region, Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) R N Ravi said here on Monday.
Addressing the 21st conference of DGPs, IGPs and heads of Central police organisations of NE here, Ravi said, “The region has witnessed significant qualitative and quantitative changes in the security scenario in the last three-four years.’’
The IB official noted that the conference is an important occasion when the various agencies can ‘sit alongside to reinforce their capabilities to counter insurgent threats’.
On the specific threats the NE states are facing, Ravi said in Assam, relegate groups are trying to strengthen themselves while in Meghalaya, Garo Hills is a concern.
The DGPs of all the N-E states and West Bengal, senior officials of the IB, senior officials of the Army and paramilitary forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations in the region are attending the meeting that aims to bolster inter-state coordination among police forces of the region to tackle insurgency and other criminal activities that transcend state boundaries.
A senior official of Assam Police informed that the meeting of the DGPs of all the N-E states would try to work out a joint strategy for the police forces in all the N-E states to tackle cross border and inter-state movements of militants.
The issue of N-E insurgent groups’ bases on foreign soil is one of the key issues that are being taken up in the meeting. The N-E states have long borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, and China and the militants of the region have the history of setting up bases in neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar.
Though the present regime in Bangladesh recently cracked the whip of leaders of certain insurgent group taking shelter on their soil , some insurgent groups are still believed to have bases in that country. There are bases of N-E insurgents in Myanmar.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is concerned with the attempts by the Maoist groups to take a foothold in Assam and other parts of the North East region and the state police chiefs of the region are expected to join hands in formulating a coordination to defeat Maoists design to infiltrate N-E region.
The second major issue to be discussed in the meeting is efforts by anti-India forces to pump in fake currency notes to India to destabilize the economy of the country. Sources said the fake currency notes were mostly produced in Pakistan and pumped into India through different routes. The N-E States having border with Bangladesh need to be more alert to prevent pumping in fake currency notes through Bangladesh.
The Border Security Force (BSF) personnel manning India- Bangladesh border in the Northeast often make seizure of seized such fake currency notes and such seizure are believed to just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Cross-border movements of arms too are a concern for the N-E states and the police chief of the region are scheduled to take up the issue.
The meeting assumes significance under the prevailing circumstances in the region that calls for better coordination in respect of operation and sharing of intelligence among the state police forces of the region. (With inputs from UNI)