By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) has condemned the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) for halting the road construction work at Muktapur, claiming that the area falls within 150 yards from the Zero Line.
In a statement issued here, JSU War Jaintia Circle president Eddy Kery Pohtam urged both the Central and the state governments to note that the present Indo- Bangladesh border is an ‘artificial boundary’ over villages and agricultural lands superimposed by the British.
He argued that the agricultural lands are mostly owned by the indigenous population from the War Jaintia community and those were their only source of livelihood.
“Border fencing at 150 yards from the Zero Line would mean that most of the fertile land and the source of livelihood of the indigenous population will be gone despite the people having survived on these lands since time immemorial,” Pohtam said.
Further, he argued that since the two countries are yet to demarcate any permanent boundary pillars so as to identify the real Zero Line, any claim by the BGB is insignificant.
He observed that the government must see and put certain areas of War Jaintia as “not recommended for border fencing” unless the matter of threat to the demographic rights of the indigenous people is perceived to be real. Referring to threats of illegal immigration, Pohtam said illegal immigration can be checked by strengthening the Border Security Force (BSF) by inducting local people from the Khasi-Jaintia Community into the border patrol party and also by upscaling the Meghalaya Police to act as the second line of defence to investigate and deport such illegal immigrants and not by having a fencing which deters the local people of their livelihood. With the unabated influx, he said the matter calls for implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) through amendment to the Meghalaya Residents’ Safety and Security Act, 2016. The JSU has appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to consider the ground situation of the area and before any further actions and agreements is met by the two countries. The union also urged the Centre to examine past reports prepared by the central and state governments and other follow ups done by the local groups of Meghalaya such as the Coordination Committee on International Border (CCIB) so as to be in favour of the local indigenous population.