B’deshi jawans stop road construction in village
JOWAI: The villagers of Muktapur in West Jaintia Hills have alleged that three personnel of the Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB) had intruded into Indian territory at Muktapur village just to stop the road construction work taken up by the members of the Dorbar Shnong.
The BGB personnel came to Muktapur village from across the border on Saturday and warned all residents that if they don’t stop construction of the internal road, they will not go back to Bangladesh but remain there to see if anyone dares to continue the construction work.
The villagers alleged that the BSF personnel, who are supposed to protect the people in the border and also the boundary, remained mute spectators.
“We were really shocked when we saw the three BGB personnel shook hands with our BSF personnel before they returned to Bangladesh after warning us against continuing the road construction work”, sources said.
Sources informed that in the past few days, the residents of Muktapur village came together to construct the internal road.
However, the construction was stopped due to the sentry post of the BSF which was located along the internal road to be constructed.
However, after the villagers along with the village council met the BSF officials, they agreed to shift the sentry post.
But the next day during the joint inspection for shifting of the sentry post, the BSF changed the stand and warned them that if they don’t stop the construction work, the BGB will come to their village.
“It was really shocking to know that when the villagers carried on with the construction work, the BGB came to the village. This is illegal, the BGB personnel are intruders and the BSF has done nothing”, said Kmen Myrshiang, a resident of the border area and the secretary of the CCIB.
A villager informed that when the BGB came to the village they ordered the residents to stop the construction saying that Muktapur village is very close to the international border and no construction work can take place there as it is within 150 yards.
“We are shocked to see that the BGB did really come to our village as the BSF personnel had told us that if we don’t stop the work, the BGB will come and stop us”, he added.
The CCIB secretary said, “I want to ask the BSF authorities whether there is any nexus – I mean BSF-BGB nexus to destroy our border residents? Such irresponsible act of the BSF posted at Muktapur area will bring nothing but distrust between the BSF personnel and the people residing in the International border”.
“We condemn the Government of India and also the state government. Had the state and the union government taken serious action on the international border issues, such thing would not have happened”, Myrshiang said, adding that the agreement in 1968 with Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) clearly states that the land owners in the area have a big role to play and to decide their sides – Bangladesh or India and also the Indo-Bangla agreement states that 150 yard is not there unless you demarcate a permanent boundary”.