IT Desk
New Delhi, August 27:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed district officials in border areas to identify and remove illegal religious structures within 30 kilometres of the international border, describing them as part of a “deliberate design” to change the demographic profile of sensitive regions. He said such encroachments pose a direct threat to national security and must be dealt with firmly.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the Vibrant Villages Programme workshop, Shah warned that the demographic changes taking place in border villages are not natural but orchestrated. He said illegal constructions, particularly shrines and other religious structures, have been deliberately established to alter the social balance of border communities and compromise the country’s security interests. District collectors were told to ensure strict enforcement in this regard and to treat the issue as a priority matter.
The Home Minister cited the example of Gujarat, where the state government had successfully removed encroachments along both land and coastal borders, calling it a model for other border states to follow. He added that border villages should be seen as the country’s first line of defence and must be developed into secure and vibrant communities that discourage migration while benefiting from full coverage of central and state welfare schemes.
Shah’s remarks reinforced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech, in which the Prime Minister said illegal infiltration was being used as part of a conspiracy to engineer demographic shifts in India’s border districts. Modi had announced the formation of a high-powered demographic mission to counter the threat.
Similar measures have already been witnessed in Uttar Pradesh, where officials earlier this year demolished more than 400 unauthorized structures within 10 kilometres of the Indo-Nepal border. These included mosques, madrasas, shrines and Eidgahs identified through satellite and drone mapping. Authorities there stressed that the drive was aimed at reclaiming government land and preventing misuse of border areas rather than targeting any community.
The government has made clear that the protection of border areas from encroachment and unauthorized construction will remain a central part of its broader security strategy, linking enforcement measures with the development-oriented approach of the Vibrant Villages Programme.
