Frontline vigilance must be strengthened with technology, says Amit Shah at Jammu border posts

JAMMU, FEBRUARY 6: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday underscored the need to reinforce traditional frontline vigilance with cutting-edge technology, stating that while the dedication and alertness of border personnel remain irreplaceable, emerging threats powered by advanced tools must be countered with equally advanced technological solutions.

Addressing Border Security Force (BSF) troops during his visit to forward posts along the International Border in Kathua district, the Home Minister said that the nature of challenges faced at the borders has changed significantly over the years, requiring constant adaptation and modernisation of security systems.

“The challenges we faced at the borders some years ago are completely different from the challenges we face today. Your constant vigilance on the frontlines is extremely important. However, as challenges are emerging through advanced technology, we must also find technological solutions to counter them,” Shah said.

The Home Minister visited the border outposts of Gurnam and Bobiyian in the Hiranagar sector, accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka and BSF Director General Praveen Kumar.

His visit comes amid heightened focus on border management to prevent infiltration of terrorists and smuggling of weapons and narcotics, as well as intensified anti-terror operations in the Jammu region that have recently led to the elimination of four hardcore Pakistani terrorists affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad in a series of encounters in Kathua, Udhampur and Kishtwar districts.

Shah said the government and the BSF share a common objective of ensuring that India’s borders remain secure and impenetrable. He announced that the 60th year of the BSF would be observed as the year of BSF modernisation and welfare of its personnel and their families.

“I have made a promise that the 60th year of the BSF will be dedicated to modernisation and welfare. A team in the Ministry of Home Affairs is working on both these aspects,” he said, adding that a special welfare scheme for BSF personnel is also in the pipeline.

The Home Minister said the government is prepared to invest whatever funds are required for technology-based border security, asserting that modern equipment, improved infrastructure and advanced surveillance systems will significantly enhance operational efficiency and reduce hardships faced by troops.

“I believe that improved border infrastructure and modern equipment will greatly help you in performing your duties. Through this, we will also try to reduce your difficulties, so that you can discharge your responsibilities in a better manner,” he said.

Praising the BSF’s role in Operation Sindoor in May last year, Shah said the Jammu frontier had destroyed 118 enemy posts and three terror launch pads across the border, calling it a golden chapter in the force’s six-decade-long history.

“Even in that difficult moment, all of you kept alive and elevated the spirit that we are the guardians of the border. Under the Jammu and Kashmir frontier, 118 posts and three terror launch pads were destroyed by the BSF,” he said.

The Home Minister paid rich tributes to Sub-Inspector Mohammad Imtiyaz and Constable Deepak Chingtham, who laid down their lives in the Jammu sector and were posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra for their exceptional bravery.

Extending his best wishes to the troops, Shah said it is because of the BSF’s unwavering sense of duty that the entire nation sleeps peacefully.

“Whenever I visit a BSF post, whether in the deserts of Kutch and Rajasthan or in Jammu and Kashmir, I return inspired by your spirit of duty, consciousness and the highest standards you demonstrate while carrying out your responsibilities,” he said.

Shah also highlighted the BSF’s contributions beyond border guarding, including its role in difficult terrains of the Northeast, in Maoist-affected areas, and during natural calamities such as the floods in Punjab last year, where the force’s humanitarian efforts were widely appreciated.

The Home Minister concluded his visit by laying a wreath at the martyrs’ memorial at the Bobiyian border outpost, paying homage to fallen border guards.

“I paid tribute to the brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation’s defence. Their sacrifice and unwavering dedication inspire every citizen. I salute their indomitable courage and bravery,” Shah wrote later on X.