NESO Slams Meghalaya Govt, District Councils for Inaction on Illegal Infiltration as Assam Intensifies Crackdown

Shillong: The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has strongly criticised the Meghalaya government and the state’s three autonomous district councils for their failure to take effective measures against illegal infiltration, even as neighbouring Assam ramps up eviction drives that are pushing suspected infiltrators towards Meghalaya’s porous borders.

Addressing the media, NESO chairman Samuel B. Jyrwa accused both the state administration and the autonomous councils of remaining largely passive despite repeated warnings from student bodies about the escalating threat.

“Assam is adopting tough, proactive steps against illegal infiltrators. The Prime Minister, in his Independence Day address, described them as intruders who must be dealt with firmly, and the Union Home Ministry has issued clear instructions to all states. Yet, in Meghalaya, we see no meaningful action on the ground,” Jyrwa stated.

He cautioned that Assam’s aggressive campaign risks turning Meghalaya into the “nearest and most convenient” refuge for those being displaced, stressing the urgent need for round-the-clock surveillance along both the inter-state boundary and the international border with Bangladesh.

While NESO currently has no verified reports of new settlements by illegal immigrants inside the state, Jyrwa cited a recent operation by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Laban Circle that uncovered several suspected infiltrators living in rented accommodation. He termed the discovery “deeply alarming.”

The NESO leader also trained his guns on the autonomous district councils, saying they have failed to exercise their constitutional mandate on the issue. “Infiltration is not merely a state subject; it falls directly under the jurisdiction of the district councils as well. They have taken no proactive steps whatsoever,” he said.

With pressure groups and civil society organisations renewing calls for stringent checks on illegal influx, attention has once again turned to the Conrad Sangma-led government and the three autonomous councils to demonstrate that Meghalaya is serious about safeguarding its borders amid mounting demographic concerns in the region.

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