By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 8: The Jaintia National Council (JNC) has asked the state government to ensure that Meghalaya is not turned into a refugee camp like in 1971 during the Bangladesh liberation war.
The JNC expressed concern over the volatile situation in Bangladesh and highlighted the possibility of illegal entry of people seeking refuge.
The JNC submitted a memorandum to Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home (Police), Prestone Tynsong, urging him to direct the concerned district administration to ensure that the international border is well guarded at all times to ensure zero infiltration of Bangladeshis into Meghalaya at all costs.
The JNC requested the state government to set up a temporary police camp with deployment of sufficient armed police personnel along the Indo-Bangladesh border along with the central security forces. It also urged the government to ensure that local indigenous people residing in the neighbouring country do not suffer any atrocity.
“The state government should direct the district administration to set up a 24×7 helpline so that the people can report any information of infiltration in the international border areas,” the JNC stated.
KSU alerts all its
border units
Meanwhile, the KSU has directed all its units in areas close to the international border to remain alert in view of the ongoing unrest in neighbouring Bangladesh.
KSU president Lambokstarwell Marngar said, “We will work closely with the traditional heads in case there is an emergency,” Marngar said.
The KSU president also stated that they had been raising the need for a strong legislation to deal with influx and illegal immigration for the past several decades.
“But the state government failed to respond. Now there is a fear that Bangladesh immigrants will try to enter the state illegally in view of the emergency situation in that country,” he said.
He said the KSU, which is a part and parcel of the NESO, has requested the Centre not to rehabilitate immigrants from the strife-torn nation in any of the Northeastern states.