VPP MP asks Modi to implement ILP, reinforce BSF

Dr. Ricky Andrew Jones Syngkon, Voice of the People Party (VPP) MP from Shillong parliamentary seat, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, urging him to take urgent steps to implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) regulation and other long-pending demands concerning Meghalaya.
Syngkon also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister sought deployment of three additional Border Security Force (BSF) battalions along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya to enhance ground-level security and instil confidence among the border population.
Voicing concern over the large-scale of influx of migrants, including Bangladesh immigrants, Syngkon sought the Prime Minister’s intervention to grant ILP status to Meghalaya.
“The long-standing demand for the extension of the ILP regime continues to be a matter of deep concern for its indigenous communities. The people of Meghalaya are increasingly alarmed by the growing influx of migrants, including from across the international border with Bangladesh and the unauthorised settlements and encroachments on tribal lands, particularly in sensitive border and fringe areas,” Syngkon informed the Prime Minister.
He added: “This demographic pressure poses a serious threat to the cultural identity, land rights, and socio-economic security of the tribal population of Meghalaya.”
Noting that the ILP regime is already in force in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland, the VPP MP said, the ILP is viewed as a necessary and legitimate protective mechanism to regulate the entry of outsiders and preserve the unique tribal character of the state.
Syngkon requested the Prime Minister to instantiate a structured consultative process with all stakeholders to examine the demand for ILP in Meghalaya in a fair, sensitive and time-bound manner.
In fact, the Meghalaya Assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution on December 19, 2019, urging the central government to introduce the ILP regime into the state by including Meghalaya in the preamble of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873.
“Granting ILP status would fulfil a long-pending aspiration of the people and reinforce their trust in the constitutional safeguards provided to indigenous communities,” Syngkon underscored.
Seeking reinforcement of BSF troopers along the 443 km India-Bangladesh border under Meghalaya Frontier, the VPP MP said, “Currently, only 9 BSF Battalions are deployed along this extensive frontier, which is insufficient to ensure effective area domination.”
“The Meghalaya -Bangladesh border runs through hilly, forested terrain with large unfenced and hard-to-access stretches, making it highly vulnerable to cross-border infiltration, smuggling, illegal migration, and surveillance gaps,” he informed the Prime Minister.
In addition to troop reinforcement, Syngkon requested central government to give an urgent attention to infrastructure and technology upgrades, including fencing of vulnerable stretches using terrain-appropriate designs.
“Deployment of drone surveillance and night vision systems for real-time monitoring. Installation of functional scanners and X-ray machines at check posts to intercept smuggling,” he suggested.
The opposition MP also called for upgradation of border outposts and communication systems and support for community-based border watch efforts.
“A comprehensive, technology-driven, and context-sensitive border strategy is critical to secure Meghalaya’s frontier and uphold peace in this sensitive region,” he said.
Given the close cultural and economic ties between communities on both sides of the international border, especially among Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo population, Syngkon said, “it
is essential that these security measures are implemented with human sensitivity, ensuring local interactions are preserved while illegal activities are curbed.”