Our Bureau
JOWAI/SHILLONG, April 29: The Jaintia National Council (JNC) on Monday asked the state government to remove some check posts of the Border Security Force (BSF) in East Jaintia Hills citing alleged harassment and failure to protect the local inhabitants from intrusion and violence.
In a memorandum addressed to Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, which was submitted on Monday, the JNC demanded the removal of BSF check posts from places like Sonapyrdi, Umbluh, and Dona.
“The BSF has failed the state in terms of duties assigned to them. It has also failed to protect the people living in the border from intrusion by the recent killing near Umkiang by Bangladeshi nationals as has been seen in village where one Sylvanus Dhar lost his life, and the recent situation, wherein Bangladeshi nationals pelted stone.
The BSF has also failed to check the illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals into the district, besides drugs smugglings etc,” the JNC stated.
Stating that there have been multiple complaints from villagers, the JNC said that the BSF has been entering into villages and conducting random checking of vehicles, and in that process, only locals are allegedly targeted and harassed.
In Sonapyrdi village on April 20, the BSF personnel brutally assaulted and manhandled three youths and also damaged their vehicle, the JNC alleged.
Emphasising the importance of a “political solution”, the JNC said that central forces that are biased and fail to protect the locals should be removed.
Meanwhile, the JNC asked the state government to strengthen the anti-infiltration check gate in East Jaintia Hills while claiming that there is an influx of immigrants, while alleging that there is lack of police patrolling at night.