You Are Our Eyes and Ears
Kamal Kumar Biswas.TOD.Balurghat
Seeking to deepen ties with remote communities along the India-Bangladesh frontier, the Border Security Force on Monday organized a free medical camp for residents living between the international boundary and the border fence.
The camp, run by the 79th Battalion under its annual civic action program, was held at Srikrishnapur Primary School and served villagers from Srikrishnapur and Uttar Jamalpur, areas that are geographically cut off from the mainland by stretches of barbed wire and security installations.
Members of the B.S.F. welfare committee opened the event with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The battalion’s commandant, K. Thingbaijam, then inaugurated the camp, greeting residents who had gathered in large numbers from early in the day.
Medical officers from the B.S.F., assisted by paramedical staff and doctors from the Rural Hospital in Hili, carried out examinations and distributed essential medicines free of cost. From children to the elderly, hundreds of villagers — officials put the number at about 300 — received treatment.
The force also handed over a wheelchair and a stretcher for community use to representatives of the local panchayat.Local leaders, including Arun Mahato of the Dhalpara Gram Panchayat and other members of village governing bodies, attended the program alongside B.S.F. officers and jawans.
In his address, Mr. Thingbaijam said residents living beyond the fencing were as integral to India as those in any metropolitan center and described them as the “eyes and ears” of the force. To build what he called an emotional bond, he added, B.S.F. personnel had brought their own families to the event.
“These civic action programs reaffirm that the B.S.F. is not only a vigilant guardian of the nation’s borders but also a committed partner in the welfare and well-being of border communities,” he said. “We stand with the people in these areas and will continue to work collectively for their health, safety and holistic development.”
Villagers welcomed the initiative and expressed appreciation for the outreach, officers said.Officials added that such programs were designed to foster goodwill and cooperation between security forces and residents — relationships they said were essential both for improving daily life in isolated settlements and for discouraging cross-border crime while maintaining peace along the frontier.
The camp, run by the 79th Battalion under its annual civic action program, was held at Srikrishnapur Primary School and served villagers from Srikrishnapur and Uttar Jamalpur, areas that are geographically cut off from the mainland by stretches of barbed wire and security installations.
Members of the B.S.F. welfare committee opened the event with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The battalion’s commandant, K. Thingbaijam, then inaugurated the camp, greeting residents who had gathered in large numbers from early in the day.
Medical officers from the B.S.F., assisted by paramedical staff and doctors from the Rural Hospital in Hili, carried out examinations and distributed essential medicines free of cost. From children to the elderly, hundreds of villagers — officials put the number at about 300 — received treatment.
The force also handed over a wheelchair and a stretcher for community use to representatives of the local panchayat.Local leaders, including Arun Mahato of the Dhalpara Gram Panchayat and other members of village governing bodies, attended the program alongside B.S.F. officers and jawans.
In his address, Mr. Thingbaijam said residents living beyond the fencing were as integral to India as those in any metropolitan center and described them as the “eyes and ears” of the force. To build what he called an emotional bond, he added, B.S.F. personnel had brought their own families to the event.
“These civic action programs reaffirm that the B.S.F. is not only a vigilant guardian of the nation’s borders but also a committed partner in the welfare and well-being of border communities,” he said. “We stand with the people in these areas and will continue to work collectively for their health, safety and holistic development.”
Villagers welcomed the initiative and expressed appreciation for the outreach, officers said.Officials added that such programs were designed to foster goodwill and cooperation between security forces and residents — relationships they said were essential both for improving daily life in isolated settlements and for discouraging cross-border crime while maintaining peace along the frontier.
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