BJP leader urges NRC in West Garo Hills, warns of ‘mini Bangladesh’ threat

Shillong, Oct 27: A local BJP leader has urged the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the plain belts of West Garo Hills, warning that unchecked settlement of undocumented people, allegedly from Bangladesh, poses a threat to the region’s demographic balance.

Peterjob Sangma, BJP General Secretary of West Garo Hills, in a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, said there is growing apprehension among locals that the district could soon turn into a “Mini Bangladesh,” where native communities risk becoming minorities in their own land.

He stated that the plain belt areas, particularly Phulbari, Rajabala, Tikrikilla, and nearby villages, have seen an “alarming and unchecked increase” in undocumented and potentially illegal immigrants from across the border in Bangladesh.

According to Sangma, these alleged immigrants have encroached on public and forest lands without legal documentation, illegally acquired agricultural plots, and consequently added to the number of undocumented voters and ration card holders.

“What was once a sporadic issue has now turned into systematic demographic encroachment, causing deep concern among the indigenous and local communities of Garo Hills,” he said.

The BJP leader alleged that despite peaceful and democratic efforts by NGOs, youth organizations, and traditional bodies, neither the district council nor the State government has taken any visible or concrete steps to curb the influx or address its long-term consequences.

Appealing for an NRC exercise similar to Assam’s, Sangma urged the Home Minister to consider deploying central security agencies, if necessary, to conduct an independent audit of population settlements and land records in suspected areas.

He also called for stronger border fencing and enhanced surveillance infrastructure along the India-Bangladesh border, besides proposing the creation of a Special Investigative Task Force to probe illegal land acquisition and voter registration in newly settled areas.

Advocating legal and policy measures to stem undocumented migration, Sangma warned: “If this trend continues, the entire demographic structure of the West Garo Hills district could change irreversibly within the next 5 to 10 years.”

By Staff Correspondent