SHILLONG: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has refuted Governor V. Shanmuganathan’s statement that influx from Bangladesh into Meghalaya is not possible.
In a press statement, KSU said the problem of infiltration is a real phenomenon in Meghalaya and that there is a shortage of border security personnel.
“The state shares a porous international border of 424km with Bangladesh and BSF personnel guarding the porous border is not adequate to check the constant infiltration by Bangladeshi nationals into India through Meghalaya as claimed by BSF officials,” KSU president Daniel Khyriem said.
Last week, the Governor while attending a programme in Chennai had said, “Infiltration of Bangladeshi migrants into Meghalaya is not possible due to the presence of a strong community life in villages of the northeastern state.”
Pointing out the case of Salahuddin Ahmed, a politician from Bangladesh who was arrested for entering Meghalaya last year, he said, “The arrest for illegally entering the country on May 11, 2015, and the news of his detention also figured in the national media.”
Salahuddin is the joint secretary general of Bangladesh National Party and also a former MP.
KSU wanted to know how the Bangladeshi politician entered Meghalaya through the porous border without being detected by the concerned agencies.
“Bangladeshis can also enter Meghalaya using Assam as a transit state thereby increasing the probability that the microscopic indigenous communities of Meghalaya will be overwhelmed by the foreigners”, he added.
