3 days ago
A local is attacked, prompting Meghalaya to seek fence closer to border with Bangladesh
The Meghalaya government has urged the Centre to negotiate the possibility of building a fence closer to the international boundary than existing norms allow in the unfenced stretch of the state's border with Bangladesh.
This comes after an incident in Rongdanggai village in the South West Khasi Hills close to the Bangladesh border, in which a local was injured after being assaulted and stabbed late on August 8, allegedly by a group of Bangladeshi nationals who had illegally crossed the border.
Following a review meeting with the DCs and SPs of all districts of the state Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Tynsong said that security has been ramped up along the border.
'Instructions have been given to districts that they have to be more proactive because quite a number of incidents have happened. Number one is that illegal infiltration takes place everywhere, right from East Jaintia Hills to Dalu side [West Garo Hills] all along the international border between India and Bangladesh. We are alert and we are sure our police force will be able to map and push back infiltrators,' he said.
Meghalaya has a 443 km long international border with Bangladesh, in which a stretch of around 40 km remains unfenced. In line with the 1975 Joint India-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities, neither country can construct a defence structure within 140 yards from the zero line or the international boundary on either side.
Deputy Chief Minister Tynsong said that the Meghalaya government is pushing the Centre to negotiate for an exception in Meghalaya's case.
'Quite a number of complications arise in this unfenced area. Number one is that international norms say it [fence] should be 150 yards inside the country. It so happens that there are a number of villages in that area, that if the fencing is carried out, these villages will be outside the fence. If it is outside the fencing it more or less means that it falls under the no man's land,' he said.
He went on to say: 'In these circumstances, we have taken it up with the Ministry of Home Affairs to try to convince the government of Bangladesh that because of this reality, let us go close to the main pillar of the border. So that we can avoid fencing outside the villages'.
