Demographic changes in border areas ‘deliberate’: Home Minister

Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday stressed that all illegal encroachments within at least a 30-km radius of the country’s borders must be removed. He directed district collectors to ensure that citizens do not leave border villages and that their population increases.

Speaking at the inauguration of a workshop on the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), Shah recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flagged demographic changes in border areas as a matter of concern in his Independence Day address. He said collectors of districts covered under the VVP must treat the issue with seriousness, as such demographic shifts directly affect national security.

Shah cautioned against assuming that these changes were due to geographical conditions, saying they were part of a “deliberate design”. He urged chief secretaries of states and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to also pay attention to the matter.

In the second phase of the VVP, Shah said the administrative approach needs to change. He asked district collectors to act against illegal religious encroachments, calling them a deliberate attempt to alter the border landscape.

The minister praised Gujarat for removing numerous encroachments along its land and maritime borders.

Outlining the key objectives of the VVP, Shah said it aims to prevent migration from border villages, ensure that all citizens in these villages receive the full benefits of Central and state schemes and develop border villages into strong tools of national security.

He emphasised that achieving these goals requires coordinated efforts by both the Centre and state governments to transform border villages into “effective instruments of security”.