The Hynñiewtrep Youths’ Council (HYC) today met Director General of Police Lajja Ram Bishnoi to raise three important issues relating to safety and security of the people.
The HYC said that they have urged the state’s top cop to increase police presence on the border with Assam to provide a sense of security to Meghalayans who live along the disputed boundary.
Assam and Meghalaya are currently involved in talks to resolve their border disputes but the issue has begun to flare up specifically in the Khanduli area between Karbis of Assam and Pnars of Meghalaya.
“A Karbi Anglong group said that if the people from the Khasi-Pnar community choose to go to Meghalaya there will be a Manipur-like situation in the border areas,” HYC leader Roy Kupar Synrem said. “So we take this as a threat to the free will of the people to decide whether they want to choose to live in Assam or Meghalaya. So, we came to meet the DGP to give our suggestion that the state government or the police should strengthen the manpower of the police personnel in the border area.”
Bishnoi reportedly assured the delegation that the police’s border outposts (BOPs) will be strengthened. The state government last year announced that there will be seven new BOPs in the sensitive areas.
“Keeping in mind that these are sensitive areas, the people should feel safe and be able to decide freely without any threat, without any coercion from any side. Whether they want to live in Meghalaya or they want to go to Assam, the free will of the people should be expressed,” Synrem said.
The pressure group also urged the DGP to ensure that checkposts manned by the police from the anti-infiltration unit perform their duties as mandated; the HYC is of the opinion that they are not performing their duty adequately.
There are currently 19 anti-infiltration check gates in the state but Bishnoi said that many are understaffed. Once new recruits are ready, these check gates will be bolstered in terms of personnel.
