By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Garo Students’ Union (GSU) has expressed concern over the problem of influx in Garo Hills. The Union has criticized the State Government for failing to put in place a strong mechanism to address this problem in right earnest.
“The growing influx problem in Garo Hills especially in the plain belts is a result of the failure of the Government to adopt strong measures to check the illegal entry of Bangladeshi migrants into the State,” GSU president Tengsak G Momin told reporters while addressing a press conference here on Thursday.
Stating that there is a major lacunae in the existing system for checking of influx, he said that the infiltration gate which was set up at Gasaupara has failed to check the entry of migrants from Bangladesh.
“I have seen for myself how the personnel posted at the infiltration check gate have allowed a vehicle which was carrying illegal migrants from Bangladesh to enter into the Indian border without conducting any proper check,” he said, adding that those who came in were easily recognisable as illegal migrants.
Momin informed that the personnel posted at Gasaupara infiltration gate had made some exchange with the illegal migrants before allowing them to enter into the Indian border.
“I am sure there was an exchange of money,” the GSU president said.
He pointed out that every year due to floods in Bangladesh people take shelter as refugees in Meghalaya. “But a good percentage of them try to stay back even after the floods have receded. This itself indicates that Bangladesh can go to any extent to infiltrate into India,” Momin said.
The GSU said that the failure of the Government to put in place a strong system for checking influx has helped the Bangladeshis to easily infiltrate into the Indian border.
Replying to a query, the GSU president admitted that the Garo indigenous population has been outnumbered by the illegal migrants in the plain belt areas of Garo Hills.
“It is the politicians who should be blamed for this increasing number of illegal migrants along the plain belt areas,” he said.
