SHILLONG/ TURA: All districts in Meghalaya, especially North Garo Hills, which share border with Assam have been put on alert over influx of illegal immigrants following the publication of the final draft of NRC list in the neighbouring state.
North Garo Hills is the only district that has railway connectivity with Assam.
Speaking to The Shillong Times about the measures taken to check influx, North Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner SC Sadhu said whenever trains come arrive at Mendipathar station police check documents of incoming passengers to verify their genuineness.
“Checking of incoming passengers is not difficult as only 200-300 passengers come, besides train comes to Mendipathar only once in the evening,” he added.
Sadhu informed that the district administration is also doing naka checks at the entry point of the district.
North Garo Hills is the gateway to the entire Garo Hills region and shares a border with Assam.
Even West Garo Hills district shares a long porous border with Assam on one side and Bangladesh on the other.
Apprehensive about a possible influx, several Garo groups have petitioned the government to keep in place a mechanism to ensure that there is no illegal immigration.
Organisations led by the Garo Students’ Union, Tura Government College Students’ Union, Garo Hills State Movement Committee, A’chik Youth Council and All A’chik Youth Federation met West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh on Thursday evening.
“We want immediate steps to be taken to check possible entry of illegal immigrants into Garo Hills in the backdrop of the recent NRC final draft released by the Assam government,” mentioned a joint statement to the deputy commissioner signed by the group leaders.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is personally monitoring the situation in all the districts.
The organisations have urged the government to direct authorities concerned, particularly the nokmas, laskars, gaon buras and civil societies to be alert and to send feedback to the district authority about suspicious persons in their respective villages.
Establishment of infiltration checkpoints at strategic entry points all along the border with Assam and Bangladesh as well as raising the alert level at the Dimapara infiltration point in South Garo Hills bordering Bangladesh have also been demanded.
The group leaders resolved to hold meetings with village chieftains across Garo Hills to create awareness about the ongoing situation.
Doubts over checks
Organisations from Tikrikilla like the A’chik Youth Council (AYC) and the Indigenous Forum for Peace Welfare and Empowerment (IFPWE) have questioned the monitoring of the situation by government authorities saying illegal migrants would not only use major routes to get into the region as there are a number of roadways and waterways.
“As the whole region that consists of minority-dominated villages are inter-connected and lies in the extreme border areas with Goalpara district of Assam, it will be easier and accessible for them to infiltrate into the region,” they said on Thursday. Pointing out that those who were left out of the Assam NRC list may try to apply for documents by posing as parents or guardians of local residents, the groups urged village heads not to issue any document to such persons.
Meanwhile, in a separate release the GHSMC in Rongjeng said, “Keeping silent on the issue will create insecurity in Garo Hills and the authorities need to act. We as an organisation will also do whatever is necessary to prevent illegal entry into the region.”
East Jaintia Hills alert
The Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills has also sent an alert to locals. In a statement on Thursday, the DC said any person whose identity is found to be dubious should be brought to the notice of the police. He also urged citizens to co-operate to maintain peace in the district.
