Patna/Araria: Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday used his visit to Seemanchal region to deliver a firm message on infiltration, border vigilance and demographic monitoring, highlighting that the Narendra Modi govt is committed to identifying and removing all infiltrators from the country.Addressing personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) after inaugurating border outposts at Letti and Indrawa in Araria district and e-inaugurating and laying foundation stones for SSB projects, Shah said a high-level committee would soon be constituted to examine demographic changes in border areas.“That committee will not only study the changes in the demographics of the entire border areas very carefully in detail, but will also suggest ways to deal with the menace,” he said.“The natural growth of demographics is welcome. But any demographic changes by infiltrators is dangerous for the culture, history and geography of any country. A committee will be formed soon to identify and throw out all infiltrators from the country. All infiltrators have to be identified and illegal encroachments within 10km of the border must be removed first under this campaign,” he added.According to security experts, the India-Nepal border, unlike fenced frontiers elsewhere, permits free movement under bilateral arrangements. While this openness facilitates trade and social ties, it also presents challenges relating to illegal migration, smuggling networks and identity fraud. The Seemanchal belt, given its proximity to Nepal and the Bangladesh corridor further east, is considered strategically sensitive.Without announcing any specific new legislation, Shah’s emphasis on vigilance, intelligence coordination and administrative preparedness signalled a tightening of the security grid in the region. Later, he chaired a closed-door review meeting with senior administrative, police and intelligence officials to assess surveillance mechanisms, land records scrutiny and inter-agency coordination.“There are elections in West Bengal. I am confident that this time the BJP is going to form govt there. The first agenda of the BJP govt is going to be to complete the fencing work on the border and to identify and send each infiltrator out of the country,” Shah said.He described West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand as among the worst-affected states in terms of infiltration and promised to free Bihar from infiltrators before the next election. “It was not only the BJP’s poll promise to the people but also the firm resolve of the Modi govt to free the entire country from infiltrators. This beginning is going to happen in a short time from the Seemanchal region,” he said.Referring to his three-day stay in the region, Shah said, “In these three days, with the Union and state home ministries, district magistrates, DDCs and the SPs, we are making an action plan by holding detailed meetings with many organisations. The mission to flush out infiltrators from the border region is about to begin. I need the cooperation of the people of Seemanchal.”He also alleged that infiltrators deprive the poor and limit employment opportunities. “They also diminish all the possibilities of our youth in employment. Infiltrators are a very big challenge for the security of the nation. Now the time has come to make an effort to free the country from infiltrators,” he said.Calling upon SSB personnel to maintain strict vigil, Shah said, “There is a huge increase in your facilities and it is not a one-time task but a continuous process. Our goal is your convenient life. If you are spending your golden years of youth on the border, you and your family have rights to get all the facilities. We will make full efforts for this.”He stressed stronger coordination with border villages and implementation of the govt’s Vibrant Villages 2.0 programme.
