Amit Shah Asks All CAPFs To Find 2000-Year History Of Villages In Borders Near Their Postings

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has asked the personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to collect data regarding the history of the villages in the border areas that comes under their postings. Reports say that they have been asked to include the data of their findings which can extend up to 2000 years of the concerned areas, to be included in their training module.

A 'Chintan Shivir' was held in Delhi by Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with the Indian Police Service officers posted in CAPFs on June 12. Shah decided about this new method and instructed the personnel of finding the history of the villages they are currently manning near borders.

Amit Shah chaired the meeting and spoke about promoting locally produced items to the CAPFs so that the employment in the villages increase thus preventing the people to migrate to other cities in search of jobs. According to reports an official told the media, "n the meeting, Shah also discussed these border villages and he then asked them to find out the 2,000-year history of all the villages and their nearby areas."

Reportedly raising awareness regarding the villages in borders could be the government's plan to develop the infrastructure there. If the CAPF personnel can collect enough data and understand the core mentality and expectations of the people living there, it would be easier for the government to plan establish institutions and develop the infrastructures in the respective villages. 

Reports say that these concerned borders are surveilled mostly by the Border Security Force (BSF), Assam Rifles, Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

The Indian Express reported that during an internal communication to field officials on June 16, a BSF officer said, “In a Chintan Shivir, the Home Minister has directed to collect details of 2000-year-old history or may be older of all the villages, and their nearby areas, and should add in the training module.”

The communication further stated, “All the seniors have been requested to send their frontiers subordinates to find out the details. After collecting [the details], they all should send it to the training headquarters by June 23 and they should continue their procedure of knowing the history of villages."

What is a Chintan Shivir?

A Chintan Shivir can also be called a brainstorming session where the topic could be anything from border security forces to law enforcement and even social media. Both concerns on a central level or state level can be discussed in such sessions. In this recent session, the task of border security forces was discussed by the Union Home Ministry.

During this Chintan Shivir, Amit Shah reportedly spoke about the Vibrant Villages Programme. This programme aims to develop villages in border areas and create job opportunities for people living there.

According to reports, he said, “Contact and communication with every border village and its residents is very important for the security of the borders. The responsibility of the unity, integrity and internal security of the country is imbibed in the oath of the IPS officers and the security of the borders can be ensured only through coordination with the law and order and local administration of the district."

Reports say that a workshop on the Vibrant Villages Programme was held in Delhi last month and Amit Shah has said that the Centre has spent more than Rs Rs 25,000 crores for the development of the border infrastructure in the past nine years. He also advised about putting this as a part of the schemes on both central and state levels.