New Delhi, November 29
China’s growing presence in Myanmar and its long-term impact on the north-eastern states has made Delhi decide that it will have a permanent and dedicated border guarding force all along the 1643-km Indo-Myanmar border.

The BSF that guards the sensitive Indo-Pak and the Indo-Bangladesh border may be asked to do the job. The Cabinet Committee on Security will take a final call on the matter which is aimed at curbing cross-border movement of drugs, arms and militants.

The DG BSF Raman Srivastava today said “We are ready and have even submitted a detailed plan to the Home Ministry”. Source in the home ministry said “… We would prefer the BSF as the Assam Rifles was anyway not deployed at border outposts.”

The Assam Rifles is in charge of the Indo-Myanmar frontier since 2002, but its troops are not deployed on the border. Its bases are about 25-km inside the Indian territory with only a handful of security posts being at the zero line - dividing the two countries. In the recent past its bases were 40-km inside and the force was asked by the Ministry of Home Affairs to move closer to the border.

The recent move of the Myanmar regime allowing a six-lane road cutting across their country to connect Kunming in South Eastern China and Chittagong in Bangladesh has raised concerns in India. The road will pass less than 20 km from Mizoram. As a stop-gap measure, the Assam Rifles was asked to move in closer to the border but not on a permanent basis, said sources. Many North-east insurgent groups still maintain their camps and training centres across the border.