Are Indian Borders on High Alert Due to Protests in Nepal?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Increased Security: Heightened security measures are in place along the India-Nepal border.
- Proactive Monitoring: Continuous vigilance by security forces to prevent unlawful activities.
- Community Anxiety: Local residents express concern for relatives across the border.
- Inter-Agency Coordination: Police are working with multiple agencies to enhance border security.
- Stringent Checks: Thorough checks are conducted for individuals crossing the border.
New Delhi, Sep 10 (NationPress) Following the outbreak of violent protests in Nepal over the last two days, central agencies have raised a significant security alert along the India-Nepal border. Authorities are warning that criminal elements may take advantage of the turmoil to instigate violence in neighboring Indian states.
Officials indicate that intelligence reports suggest that amidst the chaos in Nepal, anti-social groups might try to provoke violence and vandalize public property in the border regions.
In response, security forces along the India-Nepal border, including those from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), have been put on high alert.
Enhanced security protocols are now active across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar to avert any potential disruptions of law and order along the porous border.
Security personnel have been instructed to maintain a state of maximum alertness and to ramp up surveillance.
In Champawat district of Uttarakhand, where the border meets Nepal's Mahendranagar, security measures have been strengthened following a curfew imposed by the Nepal Army.
In Dharchula, located in Pithoragarh, which also has a porous border with Nepal, many residents are anxious about their relatives across the frontier. Security officials have increased vigilance in the area.
Similar security initiatives have emerged in Madhubani district of Bihar, where SSB personnel have been stationed at border posts.
Superintendent of Police Yogendra Kumar informed IANS, "Considering the situation in Nepal, Madhubani police are on high alert, with all border police stations closely monitoring activities. Our team is on the ground, particularly at border posts, ensuring constant vigilance."
"Individuals crossing the border are being thoroughly checked for identification. Our goal is to prevent any anti-social elements from entering," he added.
In Uttar Pradesh, security has been bolstered across seven border districts: Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharthnagar, and Maharajganj.
Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna stated that the security strategy includes continuous patrolling and stringent checks at entry points, with a total of 73 checkpoints on heightened alert.
In Lakhimpur Kheri, Senior Superintendent of Police Sankalp Sharma noted, "We are closely monitoring law and order developments in Nepal and are in constant communication with the BSF and other security agencies."
Joint patrols are ongoing, with adequate police presence assured.
Reports indicate that the situation at the Gaurifanta border, connecting Pallia tehsil to Nepal's Dhangarhi, remains tense yet calm under strict surveillance.
Meanwhile, the India-Nepal border at Panitanki in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal has also been placed on high alert, with security forces maintaining round-the-clock monitoring.