TURA: Even as the governments in both states of Assam and Meghalaya have banned all forms of inter-state and inter-district movement, except for food and medicine supply, unscrupulous traders have been violating it to try and make a quick buck out of the situation.
Apart from recent illegal entry into the plains belt region of West Garo Hills by Assam traders dealing in arecanut business, similar complaints are coming in from the North Garo Hills district as well.
Petty traders from some Assam towns – Krishnai, Dudhnoi and Goalpara – are taking advantage of the interlinking village roads that dot the border areas of Garo Hills to make their entry to quickly sell food stock and return.
Though only two points on the national highway have been kept open for entry into the region after proper screening of the drivers by medical teams at Bajengdoba and Dainadubi, police are having their hands full maintaining round-the-clock vigilance given the high number of village roads which touch the Assam border at several places.
“They (Assam traders) are taking advantage areas not under police vigil to use as routes. We have got complaints about attempts to illegally enter Adokgre, Kharkutta, Sualmari (Agia route) and Borjora villages. Wherever possible we have set up physical barriers and villagers are also being given awareness on the issue,” informed North Garo Hills police chief Abraham T Sangma while speaking to The Shillong Times on Wednesday.
In several areas of the district, village defense parties (VDPs) and volunteers have taken it upon themselves to keep vigil, even turning back several vehicles that enter their areas.
On Tuesday, two Assam-registered Mahindra Pik Up trucks laden with rice and vegetables were reportedly intercepted by village volunteers in the Gokulgre area of North Garo Hills. The drivers had put up fake government pass permits on their windshields but were turned away and directed to return to Assam by the volunteers.
Meanwhile, violation of the government lockdown has also surfaced in the Phulbari plains of West Garo Hills where a village employment council secretary in Sarkarpara under Chibinang town has been engaging dozens of labourers to undertake construction of a road despite strict orders to stay indoors. Locals complain that a large chunk of the labour engaged in the work crossed over from nearby Assam.
With complaints of trespass from the neighbouring state emerging in the plains, the Phulbari unit of the Garo Students union has called upon authorities to step up security and vigil in the vulnerable sectors.
The union expressed worry that the high population density in the area was giving advantage for outsiders to enter and mingle with the local crowds undetected.
In a complaint to the district police chief in Tura, the student union mentioned that illegal movement of people between the two states is happening very early in the morning through the river route between Dinarkutty inside Garo Hills and Balughat, in Assam.
