JALANDHAR: The director-general of the Border Security Force T.Ananthachari said recently that Pakistan had either dismantled or shifted most of the militant training camps located on the Indo-Pakistan border due to various pressures.
Even for the few camps still being operated in the interiors Pakistani agencies were not getting enough recruits from the Punjab villages he said.
After the BSF investiture ceremony parade Ananthachari said Pakistan is afraid that it might be declared a terrorist state. However it has not given up its nefarious designs.
It is trying hard to push through heavy consignments of arms which are piling up at various points along the border. Even the difficult terrain of Rann and Kutch is being used to smuggle in arms.
Ananthachari claimed that two militants were recently killed on the Ram and Kutch border and a large number of arms were seized. Themilitants he said were starved of weapons and were striking deals with their counterparts in Jammu and Kashmir to procure ammunition. The D-G reaffirmed that the nexus between the Jammu and Kashmir militants and the Punjab militants had strengthened.
Asked about the BSFs preparedness to meet the challenge Ananthachari said the water surveillance wing of the force will soon be beefed up to counter the militants activities on the Gujarat border since the circuitous routes adopted by them in the region has become a problem for the BSF.
Admitting that the BSF was an overstretched force due to prolonged internal security duties the D-G pointed out that it would be unfair to go on adding to the manpower. Instead efforts should be made to develop the technological wing of the force to make it more effective.
The BSF had proposed air surveillance in regions where human vigilante had a limited scope especially in the desert and hilly terrains. In the desert of Rajasthan even camels prove ineffective when the BSF personnel have to chase the smugglers he added
The D-G debunked the notion that Mujahedeen’s from Afghanistan had come in a big way to assist the Kashmir militants Describing it as propaganda initiated by the Pakistani authorities the D-G said the people in the Valley have seen through Pakistan’s plans.
Earlier the chief minister Beant Singh took the salute from six contingents of the BSF from the Ferozepore Amritsar Jalandhar Gurdaspur and Jammu regions.
Addressing the Jawans the chief minister said Pakistan had waged a proxy war with India by extending support to the militants. He thanked the BSF for helping the Punjab police over the militant problem and lauded the sacrifices made by their Jawans while performing security duties.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 27, 1992
