Photo Courtesy: nenews
Shillong: Residents of Lyngkhong village in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district held a protest Sunday against the current placement of the India-Bangladesh border fencing project. The villagers argue that the proposed alignment would leave their homes outside the secured border zone, effectively cutting them off from the rest of the country.
During the demonstration, the community submitted a memorandum to the Sub-Divisional Officer of Pynursla. They are requesting that authorities stop construction immediately and relocate the fence to the zero line. Village headman Ramu explained that while the community supports the security initiative, the current plan poses significant risks to their daily access and future growth.
Ramu stated, "Residents fully support border fencing work but want it positioned in a manner that ensures Lyngkhong remains within the fenced Indian Territory."
While international conventions typically require fences to be placed 150 yards from the border, residents believe this standard would cause unnecessary isolation in their specific case. The Border Security Force already maintains an outpost in Lyngkhong to provide security for the local population.
A senior official noted that India has approached Bangladesh about constructing a single-row fence along the zero line in areas with nearby human settlements. However, a formal decision remains pending as officials wait for a response from the new government in Bangladesh. Meghalaya shares a 444-km frontier with the neighboring nation, with some sections left unfenced due to difficult terrain and local opposition.
Comments