Editor,
The news “KSU demands Territorial Army for Meghalaya to stop Influx” (ST August 19, 2025) made interesting reading. The Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs has granted support for Mizoram to establish a Mizo Territorial Army (MTA) battalion. The initiative is aimed at combating drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and wildlife smuggling along Mizoram’s porous borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. Recognising the strategic importance of Mizoram, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has endorsed Mizoram’s proposal to raise the MTA in May 2024 on the proposal of the Chief Minister of Mizoram in February 2024. The Mizoram Chief Minister is a former IPS officer who has been actively pushing for this force to address manpower shortages and enhance border vigilance. The Government of Mizoram in August 2025 has begun recruiting the first batch of 70 male candidates who will undergo nine months of training at the Assam Regiment Centre in Shillong. The trained personnel will be deployed in the 1st quarter of 2026 in the border districts like Champhai and Saiha which are hotspots for narcotics and contraband smuggling.
The strategic role of MTA in Champhai is primary border surveillance with Myanmar where the border is porous and is a high drug trafficking zone. In Saiha in southern sentinel near Bangladesh to check wildlife contraband and arms routes. In Lawngtlai the strategic role in a buffer zone with Chin State, Myanmar where the risk profile is refugee influx and insurgent movement and in Lunglei the strategic role of MTA is internal logistics and training hub. The smuggling corridor in Mizoram is the Zokhawthar-Rih sector where the risk intensity is high as contraband type are heroin and methamphetamine; in Tlabung-Karnaphuli where the risk is medium the contraband type is timber, wildlife parts and in Saiha-Paltewa where the risk is high the contraband type are arms and precursor chemicals.
As far as agency coordination is concerned the role in MTA integration is for intelligence sharing and joint raids with Narcotic Control Bureau, tactical support and border patrol with Assam Rifles, local enforcement and community intelligence with Mizoram Police and monitoring ecological contraband with Forest and Wildlife Department.
In the light of the above the Khasi Students’ Union have rightly demanded that Meghalaya should have a Territorial Army along the lines of Mizoram. Meghalaya’s international boundary with Bangladesh is 443 Km and therefore it is imperative to have an MTA in place given the present political situation in that country. Similarly, the need for the Inner Line Permit system in Meghalaya which is long due cannot be overlooked given the population structure along the border of Assam which is more than 800 KMs which is detrimental to the security and safety of the citizens of Meghalaya given the size of its population. The Central government in the Union Home Ministry may kindly take note of the demand of the Khasi Students’ Union while the State government may kindly pursue the matter in right earnest and to its logical conclusion in the interest of the indigenous population of Meghalaya.
Yours etc;
VK Lyngdoh,
Via email
Strategic Thinking Needed to Curb Illegal Migration
Editor,
The present threat of influx both from across the Bangladesh border and those evicted from the neighbouring state of Assam is a hydra-headed demon, with far greater danger to Meghalaya and other NE states. The situation draws attention to my article in The Shillong Times dated August 8, 2012 – “Tackle influx before situation goes beyond redemption” – Fifteen years have gone by bereft of any tangible initiative. The dangers today to the indigenous community, together with other genuine Indian nationals, is far more potent and may assume bigger dimensions, if preventive measures are not taken on a priority basis, since the potential danger is both from across the border and within the country.
I had highlighted in the same article, that the biggest scar in the psyche of Pakistan, probably bigger than Kashmir, is the role of India in ensuring independence of East Pakistan and formation of Bangladesh. This wound is still raw. Bangladesh as a nation today is in turmoil and moving closer to Pakistan. The greater or pan Bangladesh policy of ISI is an open secret with countless evidence of such a strategy being pursued. We as a nation today are stronger than ever to thwart any such nefarious design. However, it is time to seek preventive measures, than to look for solutions after allowing the situation to go beyond redemption.
I reiterate my observation, made in the same article, that the apprehension pertaining to the fact that indigenous people would be rendered minority in their own land one day, if the influx is not checked in time, is well-founded. Even as the Indian Constitution allows citizens of India to settle in any part of the country, the same provision of the Constitution needs serious re-thinking in the context of small states like Meghalaya, which is inhabited by different indigenous communities, who are numerically very small and hence provision to safeguard interests of smaller communities’ particularly their demographic status is imperative. It is time for serious thinking backed by incisive planning, before we are faced with a similar situation as in our neighbouring state.
Yours etc,
Naba Bhattacharjee,
Shillong – 4
Heaven of Freedom – A Reality Check
Editor,
Ellerie Diengdoh’s article “Heaven of Freedom?” (ST Aug 18, 2025) published in your esteemed daily is a timely reminder that freedom is meaningful only when it touches the lives of ordinary citizens. Political independence was a historic milestone, but freedom must also mean release from hunger, poverty, and deprivation.
Recent reports highlight how far we are from this ideal. Families in Domtynrong village were denied PDS food entitlements for over a decade due to a data error. The NITI Aayog’s Multidimensional Poverty Index ranks West Khasi Hills as the poorest district in Meghalaya, with more than half the population lacking basic facilities. Similarly, a climate study found that 25 of the State’s 39 development blocks are highly vulnerable because of weak healthcare, low incomes, and inadequate support. These realities show that millions remain bound by invisible chains, even in an independent nation.
At the same time, there are hopeful signs. The “She-Rise” project promoting zero-waste menstrual hygiene has empowered women with dignity and livelihood. New healthcare facilities at U Tirot Sing Memorial Hospital also demonstrate that people-centric initiatives can uplift communities.
The writer’s reflections remind us that true freedom is not a fixed moment in 1947 but a continuing journey. It challenges us to build a society where justice, dignity, and opportunity reach every citizen.
Yours etc.,
Jairaj Chhetry
Tura
Government Must Regulate School Fees in Private Schools
Editor,
The school fees charged by various private schools in Meghalaya has reached an alarming level with parents bearing the brunt of it. Recently, the Delhi government has brought the regulation of fees charged by private schools in Delhi under its purview. These private schools now must get the Delhi Government’s approval to raise school fees. This has provided relief to parents. Similarly, the Meghalaya government can enact laws to regulate the fees charged by private schools in Meghalaya to provide similar relief to parents. Various NGOs here are also quiet on the high fees charged by many schools and are reluctant to protest. Private schools here have become totally commercialized and their sole aim is to earn high profit. In the garb of fees, various additional, unnecessary costs are added thereby inflating the total fees payable. The government here must intervene and protect the interest of students and parents.
Yours etc.,
Donald Swer,
Shillong -1