By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 22: Meghalaya wants to know from Mizoram which central ministry approved its Territorial Army.
Director General of Police (DGP) Idashisha Nongrang on Friday said there is confusion regarding the reported approval.
“We are examining what exactly is approved for Mizoram. As per reports, the approval for Mizoram has come from the Union Home Minister, but the Territorial Army functions under the Indian Territorial Army Act, which is with the Ministry of Defence,” she said.
“There is a little bit of confusion there. I am trying to get some clarity from my Mizoram counterpart. We will see what exactly has been approved for them,” Nongrang said.
Her statement followed Cabinet Minister and MDA spokesperson Paul Lyngdoh’s announcement on Wednesday that the state government received a communication from the Centre outlining the process for setting up a Territorial Army. He said both Assam and Mizoram have constituted their Territorial Army units.
The demand for such a force in Meghalaya has gained traction in recent months. The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) had earlier urged the Centre to grant the state its Territorial Army, citing the need for additional security support in dealing with the influx and illegal migration.
The details of the Centre’s communication are expected to be placed before the state Cabinet on August 26.
Lyngdoh said apart from the Border Security Force (BSF), the cooperation of local villagers is crucial in tackling the challenges of infiltration. “Territorial Army will be a viable supplementary force,” he added.
Meanwhile, Assam’s eviction drive against encroachers has heightened fears of infiltration in Meghalaya, prompting the state to step up border vigilance, as suspected Bangladeshi nationals continue to be apprehended along sensitive stretches.
The state is already vulnerable, with long stretches of unfenced terrain making it a potential route for infiltration from Bangladesh. The DGP acknowledged the growing threat of infiltration and underlined that the western and eastern border sectors are under heightened watch.
“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 have increased the MCPC, mobile check posts by the BSF and the state police,” she said.
The heightened vigilance comes against the backdrop of Assam’s intensified eviction drives over the past months.
According to reports from Assam, thousands of families identified as illegal settlers have been evicted from forest and agricultural land in districts bordering Meghalaya.
Many of those evicted, mostly of suspected Bangladeshi origin, were apprehended by pressure groups in Meghalaya and sent back to Assam.
Some pressure groups in the state have warned that they will “act” if the government fails to prevent infiltration.
Asked about these threats, Nongrang was firm in her response. “It is a free country; they can say whatever they want. They have threatened to take the law into their own hands. And as and when they do that, the law will take its own course,” she stated.
