By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 20: Meghalaya will get its own Territorial Army, similar to the one approved for Mizoram.
Cabinet Minister and MDA spokesperson Paul Lyngdoh on Wednesday said the state government has received a communication from the Centre, outlining how to go about and structure the process of Territorial Army. He said Assam and Mizoram have already constituted their own Territorial Army.
Recently, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) had urged the Centre to grant Meghalaya its own Territorial Army.
The details, pertaining to the approval for the creation of the Territorial Army in Meghalaya, will be shared with the state cabinet on August 26.
Lyngdoh said apart from the Border Security Force (BSF), the state government needs the support of local villagers to deal with the challenges of influx and illegal migration. Territorial Army will be a viable supplementary force, he added.
To a query, Lyngdoh dismissed the perception that the state government is unhappy with the BSF’s performance in manning the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border. He said the government wants everyone to join the force. He highlighted that the BSF had recently advertised 300 posts for local ST youth to join the force.
Since Meghalaya has initiated new legislation allowing villages to create Village Defence Parties (VDPs), Lyngdoh wants more villages, including localities in Shillong, to establish VDPS which can perform multiple roles in maintaining peace and cracking down on narcotrafficking.
The KSU had raised pitch for Meghalaya’s own Territorial Army and Inner Line Permit (ILP) during a sit-in protest held on Monday. It had warned of taking matters into its own hands in the event of government’s failure to fulfil the ILP demand.
KSU general secretary Donald V Thabah reiterated the long-standing demand for stronger border protection and local enforcement mechanisms.
He recalled that the idea of a local paramilitary unit or “People’s Army” was first raised during the 2001 Pyrdiwah incident when Lyngdoh was the KSU president.
“At that time, we had urged the Meghalaya government to create a unit that could guard our borders. Now, with the Centre granting Mizoram the authority to form a Territorial Army, we believe Meghalaya should also be given the same opportunity,” Thabah had stated.
He emphasised that such a unit should comprise indigenous residents, both at officer and personnel levels. “If the Government of India can offer this to Mizoram, why not to Meghalaya?” he argued.
Raising concerns about regional security, he mentioned the ongoing eviction drives in Assam and the political situation in Bangladesh. He said the displaced in Assam might enter Meghalaya.
“This poses a real threat to our identity and resources,” the KSU general secretary had warned.