New Delhi [India], September 1 (ANI): Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on Tuesday suggested that the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which guards India's porous borders with Nepal and Bhutan, revive its original role of working closely with border communities, fostering a cordial environment and strengthening the intelligence network.
While emphasising that the SSB's role as an armed border-guarding force will continue, Mohan said the force should also focus on its original responsibilities to help establish an institutional mechanism aligned with the Ministry of Home Affairs' vision for the force's emerging roles.
Home Secretary's statement came while addressing the SSB personnel at the force's investiture ceremony here in the national capital, where 18 force personnel were honoured with gallantry medals and distinguished service medals.
When the SSB was established during 1961-62, Mohan said, the force's primary mandate was to foster a sense of goodwill and a spirit of solidarity towards India among the people living in border villages.
"It was also tasked with building a strong intelligence network along India's borders in coordination with local residents and supporting the other Union Armed Forces through these activities. Over time, this arrangement gradually evolved, and the SSB's role increasingly became that of a strong and armed border-guarding force. However, its original role of working closely with border communities, creating a cordial environment and strengthening the intelligence network appears to have diminished to some extent," said the Home Secretary.
Therefore, the 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from Sikkim cadre said, the ministry believes that "in the coming period, the SSB should take steps towards returning to its original role, so that we can establish an institutional mechanism to fulfil the vision with which the force was originally conceived."
Mohan, however, clarified that the role of the SSB as an armed border-guarding force will, of course, continue. "But, in addition to this, we should also strengthen our capabilities and focus on its original responsibilities."
He further said that "we are fully confident that under the leadership of the present Director General, the new vision that has emerged in this regard will be pursued by the SSB with full commitment, dedication and sincerity."
The Special Service Body (now Sashastra Seema Bal), which guards open and fenceless 1751 km India-Nepal and 699 km India-Bhutan borders, was conceived in November 1962 and eventually created in March 1963 under the Cabinet Secretariat with the sole objective of achieving total security preparedness in the remote border areas for performing a "stay-behind" role in the event of war. In initial phase, SSB began its operations in North Assam, North Bengal, hill districts of Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand), Himachal Pradesh, part of Punjab and Ladakh area of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir with initial establishments in Tezpur (Assam) and (NEFA) Arunachal Pradesh.
The Home Secretary further said that securing India's borders is one of the most important and sensitive objectives of the MHA and, ultimately, of the Government of India. "Unless we are able to continuously monitor and effectively secure nearly 15,000 kilometres of India's borders with other countries, our goal of ensuring internal security also remains incomplete. Therefore, the border guarding forces deployed along the various borders make an extremely significant sacrifice for the nation and play a major role in nation-building."
A few days ago, he mentioned, the Ministry of Home Affairs conceptualised a quadrangular security framework for all of India's borders, and that the four key pillars of this framework are the border guarding forces; the frontline personnel of state governments working along the borders, including district magistrates, police officials and the entire administrative and security apparatus established by state governments in border districts; various agencies of the Central government, including the Bureau of Customs, Income Tax Department, Narcotics agencies and around 15 to 20 other key organisations that monitor economic offences, narcotics, fake currency and other activities; and, finally, the local community and ordinary citizens living in border areas.
Perhaps for the first time in the nearly 75 to 80 years of independent India's history, Mohan said, such a comprehensive framework has been conceptualised. This vision, he said developed under the guidance and inspiration of our Home Minister.
"I am particularly pleased to speak about this vision because it is important that all stakeholders adopt this framework and ensure its smooth implementation on the ground. The first major meeting under this framework was held around six to seven months ago under the aegis of the SSB along the India-Nepal border, covering Kishanganj in Bihar and adjoining districts. The entire framework, which is expected to emerge as a robust security mechanism over the coming months and years, was thus conceptualised and initiated on the SSB's own ground of operation. Therefore, the credit for initiating this entire framework goes to the Director General of the SSB and its officers. Subsequently, the framework was further developed through meetings along the borders of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tripura, and finally, a meeting was held around a month ago along the West Bengal border adjoining Bangladesh.
As part of this series of meetings, the Home Secretary said, "We will visit other areas as well and engage with all our border districts to further strengthen and expand this framework."
The Home Secretary also conveyed the message of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the SSB personnel at the event.
"I begin by extending my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all the brave officers, personnel, medal winners and their families on the occasion of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Investiture Ceremony. Due to some unavoidable commitments, I am unable to be personally present among you at this prestigious event. However, my heartfelt sentiments and best wishes are with all of you. I pay my heartfelt tribute to all those who lost their lives in the sudden and devastating floods in Nepal and express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. During this hour of crisis, the SSB is playing a highly commendable role in humanitarian assistance and rescue operations. The SSB's swift, coordinated and sensitive response is a living embodiment of its motto -- "Service, Security and Brotherhood". I also pay my respectful homage to the 51 brave SSB personnel who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation. Their valour, dedication to duty and patriotism are an invaluable legacy of the SSB. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the officers and personnel being honoured with gallantry medals and distinguished service medals. These honours recognise not only your courage, discipline and commitment to excellence, but also the sacrifices and support of your families," Amit Shah was quoted by the Home Secretary as saying.
"The medal recipients are role models for the younger personnel of the force. I urge you to share your experiences, methods of working and the decisions you took in difficult circumstances with the next generation. Every SSB personnel deployed along the borders is a vigilant citizen of the country, a first responder during disasters and a representative of India's goodwill. On our friendly borders, maintaining a balance between the convenience and security of ordinary citizens is one of the SSB's greatest strengths. The SSB's distinctive identity lies in its remarkable combination of strength and sensitivity. With the steadfastness of the Himalayas and the purity of the Ganga, may the SSB continue to protect India's friendly borders, serve the people living in border areas and constantly strengthen warm and cordial relations with neighbouring countries. Once again, my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all officers, personnel, medal winners and their families of the Sashastra Seema Bal. I salute your commitment, courage, sacrifice and dedication to the service of the nation." (ANI)
Revive SSB's original role of working closely with border communities, strengthening intelligence network: Home Secretary Govind Mohan
