Bengal Finally Gives Impetus To Amit Shah's Border Security Plans: Will Punjab Follow Suit?
Bengal Finally Gives Impetus To Amit Shah's Border Security Plans: Will Punjab Follow Suit? Written By, Last Updated: June 05, 2026, 18:03 IST The Home
Bengal Finally Gives Impetus To Amit Shah's Border Security Plans: Will Punjab Follow Suit? Written By, Last Updated: June 05, 2026, 18:03 IST The Home Minister has stated publicly that the Trinamool Congress government in Bengal was an impediment to his border security vision Union Home Minister Amit Shah. File photo: X Days after the Bharatiya Janata Party formed the government in Bengal, Home Minister Amit Shah pressed the accelerator on his second mission: smart border. In the last 15 days, the Home Minister has toured the borders in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and the Northeast and is expected to reach Bengal for a border review on June 15. The Home Minister has stated publicly that the Trinamool Congress government in Bengal was an impediment to his border security vision. Now, with Suvendu Adhikari in the Kolkata saddle, Shah has set in motion the Quadrangular Security Grid. New Security Grid The new security grid seeks to integrate the various border-guarding forces on lines of theatre command in the defence forces. Fresh Standard Operating Procedures are being formulated to integrate the working of BSF, ITBP, SSB, and Assam Rifles. BSF is responsible for guarding the western border. In Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu, the international border of about 3,200 kilometres is guarded single-handedly by the Border Security Force, while it works under the Army’s command along the Line of Control in Kashmir.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is the primary border-guarding force along the LAC with China. SSB secures the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders, while Assam Rifles guards the 1,600-kilometre-long India-Myanmar border. Demography Change North Block had been concerned about demographic changes along India’s borders for the last few years. Non-BJP CMs in Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal meant a lack of free hand in tackling the issue. But Kartavya Bhavan—the new home of the Ministry of Home Affairs—has managed to set in motion various steps to tackle the demography question. A committee promised by PM Modi in 2025 has now been formed by MHA under Retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar of the Supreme Court. The mandate of the committee is to recommend any action, including amendments to existing laws, to undo the “forced demographic changes". The issue was at the heart of the BJP’s campaign in the Jharkhand assembly polls. The party alleged that the tribal character of Santhal Pargana was undergoing a drastic change. Madrasas and masjids were being constructed on tribal land, and alleged Bangladeshi/Rohingya refugees were being settled on government land with full benefits of government schemes. JMM’s win was interpreted as a lack of public support for this narrative. But in Bengal, the narrative has reaped political dividends for the BJP.
In Assam, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has won a record mandate on the demography/illegal immigration mandate. In Bihar, Samrat Choudhary’s government is encouraging border DMs to strictly enforce the law while checking for the legality of madrasas and masjids in the area. Local reports suggest structures found to be illegal are being taken down. The SIR exercise has opened the door for reverse migration along the Bengal-Bangladesh border, with the government assuring no action against those returning on their own. Smart Border Smart fencing is the third aspect of the new security grid. Suvendu Adhikari’s government has already started acquiring land for the fencing of the Bengal-Bangladesh border—a long-pending demand of BSF. The Home Minister in Tripura said that the government has already sanctioned the fresh construction of a 119-kilometre-long fence. A third pilot has been initiated to use technology to secure India’s borders under CIBMS. The Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) uses electronic barriers, human resources, sensors, and intelligence to detect infiltration, smuggling, and cross-border terrorism in real-time. The new smart border project will ensure road connectivity, watchtowers and “technological fence" in low-lying or riverine areas. Anti-drone systems, laser walls, tech-based intelligence, and better coordination between central paramilitary forces and state administration are the key pillars for the new security paradigm.
SIR has made illegal infiltration less rewarding for those who infiltrated for economic prospects. The new security grid is hoping to build on it to deter human trafficking, cattle smuggling, narcotics smuggling, and, most importantly, elements inimical to India’s interests. A political win in Bengal has given the BJP-led Centre a spring in its step to implement its vision in the East. But poll-bound Punjab—on the western border—is still a work in progress. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Arunima Arunima is Editor (Home Affairs) and covers strategic, security and political affairs. From the Ukraine-Russia War to the India-China stand-off in Ladakh to India-Pak clashes, she has reported from gr... Read More First Published: June 05, 2026, 18:03 IST News india Bengal Finally Gives Impetus To Amit Shah's Border Security Plans: Will Punjab Follow Suit? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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