Shillong, Sep 4: Internal security in Meghalaya cannot be addressed through enforcement alone but needs strong institutions, community participation and development-oriented governance, experts said at the Meghalaya Pre-Event of the North Eastern Regional Dialogue on Internal Security (NERDIS) 2026 organised by the Centre for Internal Security Analysis (CISA).
The dialogue brought together academics, senior police officers, diplomats and judicial experts to deliberate on challenges ranging from identity and migration, narcotics, border security and illegal mining to disaster preparedness, youth vulnerability and cyber risks.
Prof Susmita Sengupta of NEHU said Meghalaya’s long-term resilience lies in its society, communities and established institutions.
On narcotics, ANTF SP Vikash Kumar stressed the need to move beyond seizures and target kingpins to disrupt organised networks through intelligence-led policing and financial investigation.
On the India-Bangladesh frontier, former diplomat Ambassador Riewad Warjri flagged risks from armed groups around the border while stressing people-to-people ties and legitimate cross-border trade.
Former Gauhati High Court Judge Justice B P Katakey highlighted difficulties in enforcing mining regulations, linking enforcement with environmental protection, customary arrangements and accountability.
Col K C Monnappa (Retd), Director, Disaster Management Division, CISA, called for operationalising statewide flash-flood and landslide early-warning systems with last-mile communication.
Prof Geetika Ranjan of NEHU flagged youth vulnerability to narcotics and radicalisation, stressing the role of families, schools and traditional bodies.
Dr Madhukar Gampala, NEHU Tura, proposed age-appropriate school lessons on cyber fraud and misinformation as preventive security.
Dr Rikil Chyrmang of JNU underlined better coordination between traditional councils, Autonomous District Councils and the state government.
CISA Director General Om Prakash Tewari said insights from Meghalaya will feed into the larger NERDIS-2026 regional dialogue for a safer and more resilient Northeast.
