Security in Northeast heightened ahead of I-Day celebrations

Guwahati, Aug 13 (IANS) Ahead of the 79th Independence Day celebration, security measures have been further tightened across the northeastern region with special attention given along the international border in the region, officials said on Wednesday.

Officials in Imphal said that the Central and state security forces have further intensified their efforts to maintain a round-the-clock vigil in Imphal valley as well as the hilly districts.

A huge contingent of the Army, Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), along with Manipur Police, have been deployed in Manipur to deal with the ethnic hostilities in the northeastern states since May 2023.

“All the central and state forces have intensified their search operation in both fringe, vulnerable and mixed populated areas to prevent any untoward incident ahead of the Independence Day celebration,” a top official of Manipur Police said.

According to the officials of different northeastern states, district authorities in all the bordering districts of the eight northeastern states have imposed strict restrictions on the movement and transportation of certain commodities along the India-Bangladesh border and India-Myanmar border.

The measures, enforced under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), are aimed at preventing possible infiltration by extremist elements and curbing unauthorised cross-border trade.

As per the directive, no person is permitted to move within a one-kilometre belt along the international borders in the Northeastern states between sunset and sunrise. Border Security Force (BSF) has intensified vigil and patrolling along the 1880 km India-Bangladesh border with Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram, while the Assam Rifles have taken similar steps 1643 km long India-Myanmar border with Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

“We have asked the BSF to further intensify their vigilance along the India-Bangladesh border to check any illegal trespassing and clandestine trans-border movements,” a senior Tripura police official told IANS in Agartala.

He said: “Though ahead of the Independence Day, there is no threat from the militant outfits or from the inimical elements, we have taken a series of steps to heighten the security and alertness across the bordering state.”

“Security was also stepped up in the airports, railway stations, bus terminus, shopping malls, market and crowded places. Close watches are being done in all these places and other sensitive and important locations,” the official said.

“Night patrolling has been increased. Situations are being closely monitored round-the-clock. Bomb and dog squads are doing constant checking in all susceptible and important places, besides all types of vehicles.”

A BSF spokesman said that a battalion commander-level courtesy meeting between BSF and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) was held at the Integrated Check Post in Srimantapur in Sepahijala district on the India-Bangladesh border to discuss bilateral border issues and to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border.

In Aizawl, an Assam Rifles official said that their troopers are on high alert along the unfenced India-Myanmar border to curb any kind of infiltration from across the border.

“Due to the intensified vigilance, smuggling of drugs and arms was reduced to a large extent in the recent past through the India-Myanmar borders,” the official said.

--IANS

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