Editor,
India shares 4096.7 Kms of its land border with Bangladesh of which Meghalaya alone shares 443 Kms. The entire stretch of the borders consists of the riverine, jungle or hilly areas with hardly any natural barrier. Bangladesh borders the South and South-Western side of the state. These border areas are heavily populated, and at many stretches the cultivation is carried out till the last inch of the border. Many villages of the state share their borders with Bangladesh. The BSF camps out there are just a name, where in the past few months, Bangladesh nationals were spotted in the jungle adjoining the unfenced international border near Kuliang, Pyrtakuna and Borsara villages.
A few of the Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended with the help of the Village Defence Party (VDP) of Kuliang village; by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Narpuh Circle, Khliehriat Circle and the East Jaintia Hills District Unit (EJHDU). These illegal migrants are a threat to the tribal population of the state, as we have seen that Tripura has been affected by these immigrants, where now 80% of the population are Bangladeshis.
Meghalaya on the other hand, has experienced many disturbances due to the illegal settlers and with these illegal immigrants sneaking in, it will pose a great threat to the tribal population. The tribal population of our state form 2.4 % of India’s tribal population as per the census 2011 and 86.1% of the State population is tribal, but with these illegal settlers and illegal immigrants we will become a minority in our very own State.
Meghalaya is rich in culture and tradition. We are proud of our rich cultural heritage and to carry it forward we should preserve and maintain it. So, with the sneakers sneaking in and with the lack of a strong mechanism to check infiltrations, our culture, tradition, values and ethics will vanish in times to come.
In Meghalaya’s 50 years of statehood, there were many cases where these illegal immigrants entered India through various places in the Indo-Bangladesh border of the state. Only a few of these immigrants were apprehended and the rest just mingled with the crowd. We have seen that in many places like the Ichamati, Majai, Ladrymbai, etc., where these immigrants are settled and have already mingled with the crowd and this is a matter of great concern for the tribal population. It is high time for the state government to aggressively pursue the Inner Line Permit (ILP) with the Centre. The state government should take every possible step to discuss with the Centre for the implementation of ILP. This influx and the illegal immigrants will continue to enter the state if a strong mechanism like the ILP is not put in place to check them. These illegal immigrants or Bangladeshi nationals are sneaking in through the jungles and unfenced stretch of Indo-Bangladesh border with the help of Indian citizens to cross over.
Due to the lack of a proper mechanism to check infiltration or the absence of a strong mechanism these illegal immigrants are taking full advantage. From time to time the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) have expressed their concern on the influx issue, and the implementation of ILP but in vain. In the Indo-Bangladesh border various trans-border crimes and smuggling are prevalent. Residents near the border are deprived of opportunities, as a result, they get dragged into illegal activities such as smuggling and drugs. I have come across various local newspapers and social media where the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel are seizing cattle, cosmetics, and other smuggled items and I applaud their effort to prevent such crimes and smuggling. But they should also look into infiltrations as these Bangladeshis tend to sneak through the jungles and unfenced stretch of Indo-Bangladesh border to cross over into Meghalaya and to other state’s illegally.
Yours etc.,
Shibaitlang Rymbai
Law Department, NEHU
Meghalaya needs policy makers
Editor,
We are nearing the 2023 state assembly polls and as most columnists have opined that the state lacks policy makers and it is for this same reason that this subject has been brought up again for deliberation. We cannot expect pressure groups to become permanent torch bearers of all the ills that plague the system of governance in Meghalaya, since there would be a conflict of interests. We cannot expect IAS or MCS bureaucrats to draw up policies for the state because they have been trained as administrators and not policy makers or innovators. We cannot even expect much from politicians to draw up a policy because they are elected as legislators to legislate laws. Hence to have a robust, vibrant and flexible state policy across all sectors is the work of professionals, intellectuals, grassroots workers and academicians to frame out a state policy. Whosoever gets the majority in 2023 needs to keep this very important factor in mind so that policy making does not only happen within the walls of the State Secretariat.
Yours etc,;
Dominic Stadlin Wankhar
Via email