Guard Our Border
President, Senior Citizens Club *
While different opinions have been expressed on the causes of the present clash between the Kuki militants and the Meitei volunteers and the subsequent unrest in Manipur, one reason on which all sections of society agree upon is the presence of a large number of illegal Kuki immigrants in Manipur.
A large number of these Myanmarese Kukis have crossed the inter-national border from the border are. of Myanmar (Sagaing Divison) to Manipur, particularly in Churachandpur district and Moreh town. Over the years a steady flow of this illegal and unchecked migration have been taking place.
However, after the coup by the Military Junta and overthrowing of the democratic NLD Government about two years back there had been a drastic rise in the volume of this illegal migration. Reason for this sudden and sharp increase in volume is the hostility between the Kuki militant groups operating in Myanmar and the Myanmarese Army.
It is a known fact that the Kukis are also persecuted in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. Kukis fleeing pressure from the Myanmar Army have resulted in an exodus.
A conservative estimate has put the figure of the illegal migrants at around seventy thousand. Different estimates put figures as large as two lakhs. A primary reason which made it possible for the crossborder movement of these hordes of refugees is the virtual absence of a proper border guarding on the Ind° Myanmar border in Manipur.
The Indo Myanmar border in Manipur is about 398 kms in length. The Assam Rifles is mandated with guarding this stretch of international border. At the same time Assam Rifles is also performing Counter Insurgency duties. Saddled with dual roles the force is overstretched.
An apparent result is the neglect of the border guarding role. Time tested successful border guarding is done by deploying troops on the border as seen on our Indo-Pak and Indo Bangladesh borders. Except perhaps in a small stretch at Moreh area and at Behiang in Churachandpur district AR troops are not deployed in the near vicinity of the International Boundary on border guarding role.
Crossing of the border thus left unguarded and unfenced has been rendered child's play. Illegal Kuki migrants have thus been crossing a thoroughfare of a border at will unhindered. Coupled with the absence of troops on the border is the conspicuous absence of border fencing which makes border guarding in Manipur so starkly improper compared to how border guarding is seen in other parts of the country.
At areas where border fencing has been erected the fencing acts as a Force Multiplier only when it is physically guarded by troops. Border alone in itself is just a minor hurdle.
The Indo Myanmar border has long been neglected. Local factors and international geo-politics in the region encompassing India's NE has undergone drastic changes in the recent past.
The border cannot be left un-guarded in order to prevent recurrence of the present violent turmoil in Manipur and larger national interest.
Need of the hour is deployment of a dedicated border guarding force on the Indo Myanmar border in Manipur.
* President of Senior Citizens Club wrote this article for The Sangai Express
This article was webcasted on 10 July 2023.
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