Last Updated on 11/08/2024 by wccexam Desk
After the violence in Bangladesh, people of some Indian villages near the international border are afraid of infiltration of Bangladeshi citizens in their area. Meanwhile, residents of a village in Meghalaya, located a few meters from the international border, have allowed bamboo fencing to be erected around the border and people are also patrolling the entire area throughout the night.
Around 90 people from Lingkhong village in East Khasi Hills district erected a bamboo fence along the border during the Covid pandemic to prevent petty cross-border crimes. Lingkhong is one of the sectors in Meghalaya where the border fence could not be constructed due to land demarcation issues and the presence of a settlement within 150 yards of the international border pillar or zero line.
A visit to the village revealed that most of the houses were located very close to the international border, while the only football field is located on the zero line, where children play under the surveillance of the BSF at all times. Though there have been no serious incidents in Lingkhong since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, the villagers are in a constant state of fear.
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“We couldn’t sleep the whole night”
Expressing her concern, a woman told PTI that on August 5, we were worried and could not sleep at night as we feared our neighbours in Bangladesh would turn violent. Thankfully, the Border Security Force (BSF) increased its vigil and deployed more personnel at its Lingkhong outpost besides guarding the village. The party and those who were there stayed awake the whole night to ensure our safety.
“This bamboo fence is our only protection. It has helped prevent petty crimes at the village level, but we are unsure whether it will be effective in a more serious situation,” he said.
The villagers have now added fresh bamboo to the fence to strengthen it. Lingkhong falls within 150 yards of the zero line and as per norms, barbed wire fencing can be constructed only after 150 yards. So when the foundation of the fence was laid in 2021, it left the village outside the protection of the fence.
The villagers requested the officials
The work had to be stopped due to fierce opposition from the villagers. They also erected a bamboo fence on the zero line and urged the officials to erect a barbed wire fence on that line.
Officials said talks were underway between top officials of the two countries to install barbed wire fencing along the Zero Line to protect Lingkhong.
Let us tell you that about 80 percent of the 443 km long India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya has been fenced, except those areas where Border Guards Bangladesh oppose it or where the terrain is too difficult for construction.
A senior officer of the BSF’s Meghalaya Frontier said that as per tradition, the fence should be built at least 150 yards from the zero line, but this is not always the case. The BGB sometimes allows the fence to be built on the zero line like Lingkhong depending on the presence of a settlement.
We had made the proposal in 2011: official
The Bangladesh government has agreed to this arrangement at at least seven places along the border in Meghalaya and discussions are underway to extend it to Lingkhong. However, approval for at least 13 such areas is still pending and getting it is a long and difficult process. We had sent a similar proposal in 2011, but approval for some areas was received only in 2020.”
At the same time, Dabaling Khongsdir, the patriarch of Lingkhong and a landowner, expressed deep displeasure over the way the Indian government dealt with the fence issue. He said that it is not fair that our village will be out of Indian territory after the fence is built. We do not feel safe. We want to feel safe. We have been living here since ancient times. We hope that the new government in Bangladesh and the Indian government will resolve this soon. However, there is a BSF post in the village. But anti-national elements often take advantage of the open border in the dark of night. Lingkhong is connected only by border roads. The village lacks electricity, has to depend on solar energy for lighting and wood for cooking.
Wires should be installed on the border soon: village head
Dabling’s son and village head Ramu Khongsdir expressed concern over the vulnerable condition of Lingkhong. Urging Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and local MP Ricky Singkon to consider the villagers’ request, he said, “During the unrest in Bangladesh, we cannot sleep peacefully. We want barbed wire fencing to be installed as soon as possible. The border roads are also under the control of the BSF, so we cannot use them much.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)