Port Blair, Aug 11: The ANTCC Campaign Committee Chairman, Mr. Bhasker on Friday took up a serious issue concerning the border security of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
In a letter addressed to the Hon'ble Home Minister of India, Mr. Bhasker stated that the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are located at a strategic location which is very important for our nation to counter China and other countries considering its closeness to the ‘Strait of Malacca’ chokehold. The northernmost point of the Island chain is merely 22 nautical miles from Myanmar, while the southernmost point is only 90 nautical miles away from Indonesia. He expressed concern that the international borders of these Islands being of national importance are secured by Andaman and Nicobar Police instead of the Defense Forces.
He informed the Home Minister that in the early 1970’s, the Andaman & Nicobar Police was the only agency to maintain Law & Order and to protect foreign intruders in these Islands. But it is sad to see that even after establishment of Andaman & Nicobar Command in our Islands in October, 2001, the border security of our Islands are still remaining in the hands of Andaman & Nicobar Police.
"We are gravely concerned by reports that China has deployed surface-to-air missiles in Woody Island (South China Sea) which negate China’s earlier commitment not to militarize the South China Sea. These developments have aggravated the already tense situation", said Mr. Bhasker.
Further, he said that he has full faith in the ability and potential of the officers working in Andaman and Nicobar Police but he expressed concern over the fact that the Police personnels are not trained in a way to retaliate in situations of national emergencies.
He added, "The Police personnels guarding in Narcondum Island, East Island, Tillongchong Island and other border Islands of A&N Islands are lacking technological surveillance equipments such as night vision devices, handheld thermal imagers, battle field surveillance radar, ground sensor etc nor they have any life security equipments which is necessary during emergencies. These police personnels are left to sacrifice their lives in these border Islands".
He also highlighted an another alarming concern arising now regarding the threat caused due to interference of Chinese Army/Myanmarese Poachers in Coco Islands, which is just 65 km away from Andaman Islands and is the most important place for People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) signal intelligence installation.
Therefore, considering the strategic significance of the location of these Islands Mr. Bhasker requested the Home Minister to implement some strategic approach towards the security of our Islands by giving the responsibility of border security to the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC). He cautioned that if the Govt. of India as well as the Andaman & Nicobar Administration does not focus on this issue, then we may have to face the extreme repentance caused due to any untoward situations in the future.