GUWAHATI, June 9 � Prime Minister Narendra Modi has constituted a task force to recommend measures that need to be taken to secure the international border with Myanmar, which is vital not only for the security of the north-eastern region, but also for effective implementation of the �Act East Policy� of the Government of India.
The task force is headed by Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) RN Ravi. Senior officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Intelligence Bureau and RAW are members of the task force.
Highly-placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that despite deployment of the Assam Rifles, the international border with Myanmar was not adequately policed and there was a need for reviewing the security system urgently for taking effective measures to deal with the situation. According to sources militants freely move into India from their bases in Myanmar by taking advantage of the porous international border, while smuggling of weapons and drugs also poses a grave threat to India.
Sources further said that a secure international border with Myanmar was vital for effective implementation of the �Act East Policy� and the Prime Minister himself was taking keen interest in implementing the policy at the earliest. The task force has been asked to submit its report with recommendations as soon as possible.
The task force has already started working on the job assigned to it and field visits by its members are on. The process of data collection and a series of meetings with the governments of the states having borders with Myanmar are on. The governments of the states having borders with Myanmar are taken on board by the task force as they would be the major stakeholders. According to sources the task force is expected to submit its report within a month and because of the seriousness shown by the Prime Minister himself, it is expected that the Government of India will implement the recommendations as early as possible.
It may be mentioned that most of the active militant outfits of the North-east have strong bases in Myanmar and despite repeated requests by the Government of India, the neighbouring country is yet to take any strong measure to drive out the militants. The militants having bases in Myanmar carried out three major attacks on security forces in recent times and as all the incidents took place near the international border, security agencies believe that the ultras retreated to their hideouts in Myanmar after the attacks.