Shillong, April 21: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Monday apprehended four suspected Bangladeshi nationals from Shella village along the Indo-Bangla border in East Khasi Hills district even as it demanded the state government to seriously address the issue of illegal immigration into the state.
Informing this during a news conference, HYC president Roykupar Synrem said, “Today at around 8 am members of the Shella unit apprehended the four persons coming from Dalia located near the border fencing with Bangladesh. On being questioned, these people were informed that they had reached the Dalia locality last night and today they were supposed to go back to Shillong and then go to Assam. They have produced EPIC cards, Aadhaar and PAN Card as documentation proof.”
“The suspected Bangladeshi nationals have claimed to visit Dalia as tourists but however they could not give the name of the owner of the house they had stayed at last night. They also could not tell by what vehicle they came to the village.”
Synrem informed on further checking them, it was found that one of the apprehended persons possessed two EPIC cards with different names (Samchul Hoque and Samchul Bor) issued on the same date by the electoral registering officer from Nagaon district, Assam.
“This has raised serious doubt in the mind of the HYC members. After checking their phones, one of the photographs they have was of the currency of Bangladesh. After not getting satisfactory reply from them on whether they are Indian citizens or not, our members have handed them over to the Shella police station,” he said adding “I have also personally called the SP of East Khasi Hills district informing about this matter and he has sent the SDPO of Sohra to Shella PS to investigate and find out whether these people are genuine Indian citizens or not.”
“During interrogation, the SDPO said these people has informed the police that they were supposed to go to NEIGRIHMS for some treatment but they can’t tell how they reached Shella. That is something which created a lot of doubts in our mind and the police department should take the matter very seriously by conducting thorough investigation on the matter,” he added further.
Expressing concern over illegal immigration entering the state, Synrem said for the past few weeks the HYC have received information from sources and people residing along the border that there has been a lot of movement of people from Bangladesh entering Indian territory.
Referring to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement over large influx of infiltrators entering India through West Bengal with valid documents, the HYC president said, “If these people can get EPIC, Aadhaar or Pan Card from West Bengal or Assam or any other state then they can easily enter Meghalaya and once they come here, they will reside and after sometime they will become the residents of the state.”
“We don’t want that to happen and therefore, we call upon the state government to take the issue of influx very seriously. If steps are not taken, we fear that a day will come that these people will get a residency in the state of Meghalaya and become a voter and get all rights and privileges as citizens and when they become majority, our political rights and economic rights will be at stake,” he added.
Further, Synrem informed that COMSO have written to the chief minister regarding the status of ILP and MRSSA amendment bill, 2020 and till date they are yet to get any reply from him.
 on Monday apprehended four suspected Bangladeshi nationals from Shella village along the Indo-Bangla border in East Khasi Hills district even as it demanded the state government to seriously address the issue of illegal immigration into the state.){kind=link}