From Our Correspondent
BAGHMARA, March 8: The call for expansion of railway network in Garo Hills is now facing growing opposition after garnering initial praise including from the chief minister.
The A’chik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM) Southern Zone, on Saturday, expressed concerns regarding the proposed railway extension to Baghmara over fears of illegal immigration and influx.
It may be recalled that three MLAs from South Garo Hills had earlier called for expansion of the railway network in Garo Hills and a railway line from Baghmara to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka in order to boost connectivity and regional trade in the state’s western region.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, AHAM raised concerns on the current situation as well as the potential problems that a railway line would bring to the region.
The organisation, while stating they were not against development, believed that introducing a railway line at this stage, without adequate safeguards, poses serious risks to the indigenous communities of Garo Hills.
“The biggest concern is the unchecked influx of outsiders. Meghalaya does not yet have a strong regulatory mechanism in place to monitor and prevent large-scale migration. This lack of control has already led to a rise in influx-related issues across various parts of Garo Hills. We have seen an increase in the number of non-tribal settlers, illegal land encroachments, and businesses being dominated by outsiders, while the indigenous people struggle to compete,” AHAM said.
They felt that without proper mechanisms to check and regulate this influx, bringing a railway line directly into Baghmara will only accelerate the process and further marginalize the local population.
“The railway extension will provide an easy passage for migrants and illegal immigrants, which could drastically alter the demographic structure of SGH. The porous border and weak enforcement of existing laws, the indigenous people of Baghmara fear that their land, resources, and cultural identity will be at risk. Before even considering railway expansion, the state government must first implement a strong mechanism to check and regulate the influx of non-tribals into our region,” it felt.
The group conveyed that instead of the railway project, the government needed to prioritise the development of the NH-217 which they said has been neglected since the past 53 years and all around development of the district.
“Infrastructure development such as better road networks, bridges, and public utilities, healthcare facilities to improve access to medical services, educational institutions to provide quality education for our youth, employment generation programs to create job opportunities for local residents, and socio-economic initiatives to uplift the indigenous communities of South Garo Hills is what the government should focus on. The poor condition of roads has been a long-standing issue, and improving road connectivity would be a much more effective and safer way to boost development in South Garo Hills without compromising the interests of the indigenous people,” the organisation asserted.
It urged the CM to reconsider this project and first establish a proper framework to regulate migration and protect the land, culture, and rights of the Scheduled Tribes in Meghalaya before a meaningful discussion on rail connectivity is taken up.