PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
At a time when thousands of illegal Bangladeshi nationals and other alleged citizens of Pakistan and Myanmar have been identified in various States, the first State to implement the Uniform Civil Code has not identified any such illegal alien within its boundaries yet.
Sources in the intelligence network state that there are many such persons fit for deportation to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar but the authorities have not been able to take concrete action yet. This situation is all the more concerning as Uttarkahand shared international borders with China (occupied Tibet) and Nepal. The Pakistani Inter- Services Intelligence is known to use the Nepal route for infiltration into India.
Former Khanpur MLA Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ who had first raised the issue of infiltrators in Uttarakhand in the Vidhan Sabha five years ago, told The Pioneer that he is not aware of the latest data. However, he stressed that this is a matter of serious concern which should be investigated into.
The inspector general (Law and Order) Nilesh Anand Bharne said that the Uttarakhand Police is undertaking a drive to verify the identity of people in various parts of the State. As per the directions of the government, any person staying illegally in Uttarakhand will be identified and the necessary legal action will be taken in such a case, he said.
Meanwhile, sources in the intelligence network stated on condition of anonymity that there are many persons from other nations- specifically Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar, who are present in Uttarakhand. However, it is upto the local intelligence units of the police to identify them so that necessary action can be taken by the government, they claimed.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Uttarakhand government has been taking concrete action against what is termed as land and love Jihad. Many illegal religious constructions have been demolished and a strict law has been enforced against religious conversion. However, observers point out that the State needs to do more when it comes to foreigners from certain nations living in the State.
