NE states tighten vigil on Assam border after NRC publication

Northeastern states are keeping a strict vigil to check a possible influx of illegal migrants into their territories following the publication of the first draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, administration and police officials have said.
The NRC, first prepared in 1951, is being updated in Assam under the supervision of the Supreme Court to weed out illegal migrants. The first draft of the updated version was published on December 31.
Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur have taken measures to prevent illegal migrants from entering their territories.
In Arunachal, superintendents of police of all border districts have been directed to liaise with their Assam counterparts regarding the matter, according to an official release.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu had sought information from the state director general of police on the situation in the border areas in the wake of the publication of the NRC first draft.
He also directed the DGP to maintain a strict vigil at border outposts to check the possible influx of illegal immigrants, the release read.

The Meghalaya Police tightened surveillance along the border with Assam following publication of the NRC first draft, state Director General of Police SB Singh said today.
"We have taken precautions to check any infiltration of anti-national elements right from December last week," DGP SB Singh told PTI.

The home department had on December 22 directed the state police to step up vigil and conduct checks in the border areas, he said.
Special police teams have been deployed at the Jiribam Babupara Bazar in Manipur and along the Barak river bordering Mizoram, the Manipur Police said in a statement.
The Barak originates in Manipur, flows through Mizoram and Assam and enters Bangladesh, where it forks into the Surma and Kushiyara rivers.
Police teams have been deployed at Mao Gate in Senapati district bordering Nagaland and the Tamei-Haflong road in Tamenglong district bordering Assam to check the entry of migrants into the state, the release read.

Nagaland Home Commissioner Abhishek Singh was confident of preventing possible spillover of illegal migrants into the state.
With the Inner Line Permit system in the state and police personnel manning check gates, illegal migrants cannot enter Nagaland, he said.
State Home Minister Kuzholuzo Azo Nienu, however, said the matter had not yet been throughly discussed in his department.