Lucknow, 29 Aug (HS): The Union Home Ministry has

expressed concern over demographic changes and illegal religious encroachment

in border areas. The three sensitive districts of Awadh: Shravasti, Bahraich

and Balrampur are directly connected to Nepal. In some areas of Shravasti and

Bahraich, the population of one community has doubled in the last ten years.

There has also been large-scale religious encroachment within a radius of 30

kilometers from the border in both the districts. Security agencies have also

detected cases of foreign funding here. The involvement of Pakistani

intelligence agency ISI in smuggling of fake notes and conversion has already

been exposed. Santosh Singh, a former IB officer posted in the border areas of

Nepal, says that Balrampur is also very sensitive in terms of suspicious

activities, especially after the arrest of Changur in illegal conversion.

Changur used

foreign funding to convert people in the border areas in a planned manner. A

large number of foreign nationals also gathered at his base. For conversion, he

sent money from abroad to Nepal's bank accounts. Christian missionaries also

increased their activities here. Dalit and poor families are being converted.

Apart from this, the latest case is of terror funding under which about Rs 100

crore has been sent to Pakistan.

The long-term

consequences will be fatal: Shahi - Former Information Commissioner and senior

journalist Harsh Vardhan Shahi says that the concern of the Union Home Ministry

is justified. The situation in all the seven border districts of UP - Pilibhit,

Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj

- is worrying. Its long-term consequences are going to be extremely fatal.

These things

increased concern: Rapid demographic change in border districts, Migration of

local people, activity of outsiders, Illegal religious encroachments around the

border, Increase in human trafficking and criminal incidents.

Former DM of

Balrampur has also raised questions: In the year 2024, the then DM of Balrampur

Arvind Singh had sent a report of suspicious activities in the border district

to the government, but the report was suppressed. The report mentioned that a

large amount of foreign funding is taking place in Balrampur. Anti-social

elements are using black money by making it legal through money laundering. In

this, he also exposed the involvement of the then police officers and three

famous thanedars. However, after this report, Arvind was removed from the

district.

In October 2024

itself, a report warned about the rapid demographic changes and illegal

religious encroachment in the border areas. A road has been made by filling up

the no man's land. Madrasas have been opened by encroaching on the border.

Information was also given about the conspiracy of infiltration from the

madrasas built in the border areas, the game of terror funding on the border

through the black business of money exchange, Mission Abad on the Nepal border

under the guise of religious education. Now the Union Home Ministry has become

serious on the same points and has directed the DM and SP of all the border

districts to take action.

The situation is

not good even in the border districts of Nepal: Along with India, the situation

in the border districts of Nepal is also not good. Demographic changes are

taking place there too. According to the census conducted in 2021 in Nepal, the

population of Hindus has declined in the last decade. According to the Central

Demographic Bureau, there were 2,36,77,744 Hindus in the 2021 census. There has

been a decline of 0.11 percent in this. The population of Muslims and

Christians has increased here. Now Islam has become the third largest religion

in Nepal. About 1.5 million Muslims live here, which is 5.09% of the population

there. In 2011, the Muslim population in Nepal was 4.39%. Not all of them are

originally Nepalese. Most of the Muslim population of Nepal lives in the Terai

region, which borders India.

“IG Amit Pathak

from Devipatan division and DM of Shravasti attended the meeting of the Union

Home Minister. Based on their report, a plan of action will be prepared in the

border districts. We are serious about the security of the border. Cooperation

is also being taken from Nepal in this,” said Shashi Bhushan Lal Sushil,

Commissioner Devipatan Division.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi