‘Smart border’ along Pakistan, Bangladesh to curb infiltration: Amit Shah

NEw new delhi: unification place government minister Amit shah of iran on Friday announced that the Centre will soon roll out a technology-driven “smart border” project using drones, radars, smart cameras and other advanced surveillance systems to make the 6,000-km fronts with Pakistan and Bangladesh “impenetrable” and curb infiltration.Addressing the Border Security Force (BSF) Investiture Ceremony and Rustamji Memorial Lecture in the capital, Shah said the project aims to create an integrated border security grid over the next year by deploying modern technologies along the country’s most vulnerable frontiers.“The government and home ministry will provide technological support to transform the country’s border into a smart border. Work is progressing towards creating an impregnable border security grid within the next year by integrating all kinds of technologies under the Smart Border concept,” Shah said.Also Read | US immigration memo seeks to end temporary visas as easy path to green cards | What it means for Indians“The home ministry will soon introduce a Smart Border Project equipped with drones, radars, modern cameras, and other advanced technologies. Once this initiative begins, the work of the BSF will become significantly easier and stronger,” he added.K F Rustamji was the founding father and the first director general of the BSF, the world’s largest border guarding force with about 2.70 lakh personnel tasked to guard Indian borders with Pakistan on the west and Bangladesh on the east. It was raised in 1965.Calling these two borders “vulnerable” and a “cause of concern” for the country from the security point of view, Shah said these fronts (about 1,289 km with Pakistan and 4,096 km with Bangladesh) cannot be guarded with “traditional” methods. He said these borders currently face threats like illegal infiltration, smuggling of drugs, weapons and arms through drones apart from cattle, fake Indian currency notes and organised crime.“It is most important to identify future dangers, and it is our responsibility to stop the artificial demographic change being attempted from the other side (of the border) through infiltration, and, for this, we have to remain alert and vigilant. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has resolved not only to stop infiltration, but also to identify and expel every single infiltrator from the country,” he told the officers and jawans in attendance.The Union minister said border security now required coordination among state police forces, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the armed forces, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), intelligence agencies and state administrations.He said the governments in Tripura, Assam and West Bengal - all led by the BJP - were committed to preventing infiltration and the Union home ministry would soon hold a meeting with the chief ministers of the three states to strengthen coordination on border security.“The governments in Tripura, Assam, and West Bengal are committed to preventing infiltration, and the BSF should work in coordination with them. Very soon, the home ministry will hold a meeting with the chief ministers and make plans to ensure that there is no infiltration,” he said.At the event, Shah also announced that the Centre would soon launch a major nationwide anti-narcotics campaign in which the BSF would play a key role.He said fencing work had resumed in parts of West Bengal after land required for the project was handed over to the BSF by the state government. People aware of the matter said fencing work has begun in North Bengal’s Phansidewa area in Darjeeling district after remaining stalled for over a decade. Curbing infiltration was one of the BJP’s main campaign planks during the recent assembly elections in West Bengal.Shah said the next few years would bring major changes in border security through greater use of technology, but added that it would also increase responsibilities for border guarding forces. “The next three to four years will bring transformative changes in border security. While technology will strengthen capabilities, it will also increase responsibilities,” he said, urging BSF personnel to improve coordination with local communities and civil administrations to help make India “infiltration-free”.