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The Hindu
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Guard against infiltration amid Assam eviction drive: Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma
GUWAHATI Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has directed officials to coordinate with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and traditional heads to ensure that individuals evicted by the Assam government do not enter the State. on Thursday (July 24, 2025), Mr. Sangma convened a high-level meeting with all Deputy Commissioners to review security and surveillance measures along the interstate border. Chief Secretary D.P. Wahlang, Director General of Police Idashisha Nongrang and other top officials were present. 'The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the overall effect of the recent eviction drives in Assam, particularly in areas close to the border with Meghalaya,' the Chief Minister said after the meeting. Emphasising the need for heightened vigilance along the border, Mr. Sangma called for coordination among district officials, traditional heads, NGOs, and members of Village Defence Parties to prevent any illegal movement or infiltration, especially in vulnerable regions. Earlier, a directive issued by the State's Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Shakil P. Ahamed, said, 'In view of the ongoing eviction drive against illegal immigrants undertaken by the Government of Assam and to prevent possible influx of the displaced individuals to the State as a consequence, all Deputy Commissioners are hereby directed to keep vigilant and take necessary measures to ensure the potential influx is kept in check and law and order is maintained.' Meghalaya has expressed concern over the possible 'spillover' effects of Assam's eviction drives, particularly in the western regions bordering Goalpara and South Salmara-Mankachar districts. A major eviction operation, during which one person was killed in police firing, was conducted recently in Goalpara's Paikan Reserve Forest. Meghalaya is the third North-eastern State after Nagaland and Manipur to instruct its border district authorities to prevent the entry of individuals evicted from various categories of government land in Assam. Nagaland, in particular, has intensified monitoring efforts. Officials in the State's Niuland district, which borders Assam's Golaghat district, said that security personnel had 'deported' individuals who had arrived in 'more than 200 vehicles'. The Assam government is also conducting a survey of forested areas in Golaghat's Uriamghat region in preparation for an eviction drive. Several encroachers are reported to have left the area in anticipation. Since June, more than 50,000 people, mostly Muslims with roots in Bangladesh, have reportedly been evicted from various parts of Assam.
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- The Hindu
Isolated incidents should not tarnish Meghalaya's image: Tourism Minister
GUWAHATI Meghalaya Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh on Thursday (May 29, 2025) said it was unfair to label the hill State unsafe for tourists based on a couple of incidents reported in less than two months. He said the recent cases— the death of a Hungarian tourist and the disappearance of a couple from Indore in Madhya Pradesh within a span of 57 days in East Khasi Hills district— highlight the need to ensure that visitors do not venture beyond designated safe zones without authorised guides. There has been no trace of the Indore couple, Raja and Sonam Raghuvanshi, since May 24, when they reportedly set out for Sohra (Cherrapunjee) from Shillong on a hired two-wheeler. The vehicle was later found abandoned by the roadside. Search operations by the police and local communities, assisted by the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NE-SAC) using thermal drones, have so far yielded no results. Incessant rainfall and slippery conditions have hampered the efforts, officials said. Two MPs from Madhya Pradesh— Shankar Lalwani and Sumer Singh Solanki— who are in Meghalaya to monitor the ongoing search operation, said the State authorities had not spared any effort in locating the missing couple. 'Questions are being raised about whether or not Meghalaya is safe for tourists. A person from Meghalaya has not been traced after disappearing in Thailand. Does that mean Thailand is unsafe for tourists?' Mr. Lyngdoh asked. He said tourism-related mishaps occur across the world, and that the death of the Hungarian national and the disappearance of the Indore couple should not be viewed as evidence of systemic failure. 'These incidents are unfortunate, but we cannot possibly police every inch of all tourist destinations in the State,' he said. Mr. Lyngdoh added that guiding systems, particularly at ecologically sensitive sites such as the living root bridges, were already in place. 'However, tourists venture beyond designated safe zones,' he noted. Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Rural Tourism Forum has demanded stricter regulations barring tourists from venturing out without a guide while trekking or hiking in rural and challenging terrain. 'The recent incidents necessitate a system that makes it mandatory for all visitors to take a local guide. Using a guide is voluntary now, but a strict policy can ensure total safety for visitors,' said Alan West Kharkongor, president of the Forum. Prior to the Indore couple's disappearance, Hungarian tourist Puskas Zsolt was reported missing after checking into a hotel in Shillong on March 29. His decomposed body was retrieved on April 10 from a steep slope near Ramdait village in the Shella area of Sohra subdivision, close to the Bangladesh border.
