Assam in Jeopardy: Border policing is a vacuum, and thus flow the aliens to Assam

GUWAHATI: One of the chief reasons behind the festering problem of illegal immigration from Bangladesh to Assam is the sheer apathy towards manning the international border with Bangladesh. No one in the political circles seems to be concerned – as if it is only the bounden duty of just the sons of the soil of Assam to save themselves from an imminent demographic onslaught and as if their very chosen government would look the other way when a demographic and cultural hurricane hits these very people, our own people. This reporter is talking of the all-important aspect of border policing, which has played a major role in checking illegal immigration from one country to another across the world in a systematic, time-bound and scientific manner, with aid, if possible, from ICT (Information and Communication Technology).

A reality check on the security of the international border with Bangladesh in the Assam sector, especially the second line of defence, makes it abundantly clear that border policing has been an underrated area thus far.

Districts sharing the international border with Bangladesh in the Assam sector are Dhubri, Karimganj, Cachar and Mankachar.

However, several top posts of border police officers are lying vacant in the four districts. This apart, Dhubri district has a sanctioned post of an ASP (border) and two posts of DSP (border). But all the posts have long been lying vacant. The ASP (B) of the district has been sent on deputation.

The situation is no better in Karimganj too. Here, the post of ASP(B) and one of the two sanctioned posts of DSP(B) have been lying vacant. It is the same with the situation in Cachar.

In Mankachar, while the post of ASP(B) has not been sanctioned, it has the lone sanctioned post of border DSP to be filled in.

That said, a total of 28 of the 59 posts of

ASP(B) and DSP(B) have been lying vacant. The percentage of vacancies in the border police of the State is 20.