SHILLONG, Aug 22: With Assam pushing ahead with its eviction of alleged encroachers, fears of infiltration have gripped Meghalaya, prompting the state to tighten border vigilance after suspected Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended along sensitive stretches. The state’s vulnerability is compounded by long stretches of unfenced terrain that remain potential routes for illegal entry from Bangladesh.
Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) Idashisha Nongrang admitted that infiltration remains a serious concern. “In the bordering villages, whether it is the western or the eastern range, we are working very closely with the BSF. We have had numerous coordination meetings and we have increased the MCPC, Mobile Check Posts both by the BSF and the State police,” she said.
The stepped-up measures follow Assam’s intensified eviction drives in recent months, during which thousands of families identified as illegal settlers were cleared from forest and agricultural land in districts bordering Meghalaya. Many of these evictees, mostly of suspected Bangladeshi origin, were also apprehended by local pressure groups in Meghalaya and sent back after checks.
Several of these groups have warned they will “act” if the government fails to prevent infiltration. Responding to such threats, Nongrang was categorical. “It is a free country, they can say whatever they want. They have threatened as of now to take law into their own hands. Right? And as and when they do that, the law will take its own course,” she asserted.
Under the prevailing situation, Meghalaya Police and the BSF have reinforced patrols, set up additional checkpoints, and increased surveillance in vulnerable border pockets. Security agencies warn that the spillover from Assam’s crackdown could stretch the state’s security apparatus and fuel unrest in the already volatile border belt.