The Indian Army is building ‘Lachit Borphukan Military Station’ in Bamunigaon in Dhubri district of Assam. This place is about 40 kilometers away from the Bangladesh border. This will be the first such station in Western Assam, which will greatly help the Army in securing the border and gathering intelligence. Lieutenant General RC Tiwari, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, laid the foundation stone of this military station during his visit to forward posts recently.
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Why is this station special?
Former army officer Brigadier (retired) Ranjit Kumar Borthakur said, ‘This decision is very welcome in view of the current political situation in Bangladesh. Earlier the nearest military camps were in Cooch Behar (West Bengal) and Tamulpur (Assam). Now the construction of a new station in Dhubri will strengthen both human and signal intelligence. Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat said that this station will strengthen the operational capacity and infrastructure of the army in the area. He said, ‘This will make monitoring the area easier and will also increase the sense of security among the local people.’
Deployment of 1500 soldiers and also para-commando unit
In this matter, a military officer said that this new station will be under the 4th Corps present in Tezpur and it will have accommodation for about 1200 to 1500 soldiers. Initially, pre-fabricated huts are being constructed to complete the work quickly. The Assam government also handed over the land for this project to the Army very quickly, in just a month or two. A para-commando unit will also be deployed in this station. Lt Col Rawat said, ‘Lachit Borphukan Military Station is a symbol of coordination between the armed forces and the state administration. This reflects the shared vision of national security and regional development.
Politics and security challenges of Bangladesh
Brigadier (retd) Borthakur said that after the interim government of Bangladesh came to power, its attitude towards India has become ‘very tough’. He said, ‘The growing relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan are a matter of concern. Frequent visits by Pakistani leaders and defense officials also indicate that the regional scenario is changing. He said that the statements made by the acting head of government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus on India and especially the Siliguri Corridor (Chicken Neck), and allowing China to activate Lalmonirhat airfield, both are serious matters from the security point of view of India. Siliguri Corridor, about 22 kilometers long, this corridor connects North-East India with the rest of the country. Borthakur said, ‘This area has always been strategically sensitive for us. We are prepared for every situation, but we need to be more active.
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Cross border crime and the role of intelligence
He said that smuggling, illegal migration, animal smuggling and radical activities have been a challenge for a long time on the Bangladesh border. He said, ‘BSF and other agencies are managing the border, but the Army will have to further enhance its intelligence capabilities, especially signals and human intelligence. The new station at Dhubri will be very helpful in this. Borthakur also said, ‘This new camp will further strengthen the preparedness of the security forces. This will become a strong link in the security strategy of not only Assam but the entire North-East. Earlier in June, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that the state government was considering the option of setting up a permanent army base to strengthen the security apparatus in the ‘sensitive’ Dhubri district in view of the communal tension after the Eid-ul-Zuha festival.
