Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to embark on a crucial three-day visit to Bihar starting February 25. His itinerary includes high-level meetings with District Magistrates (DMs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) in the Seemanchal region, a sensitive border area along the Indo-Nepal frontier. Sources reveal that discussions will zero in on alarming demographic shifts across seven districts, prompting the Bihar government to switch to high alert mode.
Shah’s focus will be on Araria, Kishanganj, and Purnea, where he will issue direct instructions to DMs and SPs in villages hugging the porous border. The agenda emphasizes identifying and apprehending infiltrators, alongside cracking down on illegal religious structures in border zones. Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Samrat Choudhary has already directed officials from all seven districts to gear up meticulously.
This visit underscores a bold ambition: transforming Seemanchal into an ‘infiltration-free’ zone, mirroring the success of ‘Naxal-free’ campaigns. Beyond security, Shah aims to bolster law and order while accelerating development. He is expected to review progress under the Vibrant Villages program in selected panchayats and convene with senior Home Ministry officials, Border Security Force (BSF), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) leaders to craft a comprehensive action plan with visible impacts in the coming months.
Local administrations are in overdrive, scrutinizing security setups in border areas, activating intelligence networks, and compiling detailed reports on development schemes down to the panchayat level. Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other probe agencies will join key meetings, signaling a multi-pronged approach to national security threats.
Seemanchal’s demographics add urgency to the matter. Muslim populations here far exceed Bihar’s state average of 17.7%—reaching 68% in Kishanganj and 50-70% in Araria, Katihar, and Purnea. Open borders with Nepal and Bangladesh have long fueled infiltration concerns, directly impacting national security. Shah’s meetings aim to address these head-on, fortifying the region against external pressures.