Union Home Minister Amit Shah started a three-day visit to the Seemanchal region of Bihar on Wednesday. During the visit, he will hold review meetings with senior officers of several central agencies, including the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) regarding security management and infiltration in the region.
He will also hold marathon meetings with District Magistrates (DMs), Superintendents of Police (SPs) and senior administrative officials of seven border districts.
The Home Minister is expected to hold discussions on the issue with Bihar Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Samrat Choudhary and State DGP Vinay Kumar as well.
The visit is being seen as highly significant from a security and strategic perspective, as Shah will be stationed for three days in areas bordering Nepal and Bhutan. He will also review security preparedness with top officials of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which is responsible for guarding the nearly 2,400-kilometre open border with Nepal and Bhutan.
However, Shah’s visit is not limited to security meetings. The main agenda of the visit is to review alleged demographic changes and illegal infiltration in the Seemanchal region comprising Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia and other northeastern districts of Bihar.
Demographic change in the region has emerged as a major issue. According to the 2011 Census, Muslims constituted 16.87 per cent of Bihar’s population. However, in the Kishanganj district, the percentage was recorded at around 68 per cent. In the Araria, Katihar and Purnia districts of the Seemanchal region as well, the Muslim population is higher than the state average.
Shah has earlier linked the demographic imbalance to infiltration and reiterated that every infiltrator will be identified, removed from the voter list and sent back.
However, the Opposition has linked it to alleged communal polarisation. His three-day visit to Seemanchal region is seen as an attempt to polarise the voters by raising the issue just ahead of Assembly elections in West Bengal, which shares its border with the Seemanchal region.
In this context, Amit Shah’s visit is seen as politically important as well. While it may strengthen the NDA government’s position, it could also intensify political debate if controversies escalate.