Welcome and Inaugural Keynote Address

09:00 – 09:50 AM: Identity, Mobility and Security in Meghalaya

Context

Meghalaya’s internal security environment is closely connected with questions of identity, migration, mobility and demographic change. As a border state with strong indigenous institutions and distinct Khasi, Jaintia and Garo identities, concerns around cross-border movement, inter-state migration, settlement, access to land and employment often intersect with wider debates on political representation, cultural preservation and social cohesion. Instruments such as the Inner Line Permit (ILP) and the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) have therefore become part of a broader conversation on how the state can protect indigenous interests while ensuring lawful mobility and constitutional safeguards.

The challenge is to develop systems of transparent and lawful verification that strengthen public confidence without creating unnecessary social friction or adversely affecting legitimate movement, commerce, education and tourism. The session may examine how governance institutions, traditional bodies, local communities and security agencies can work together to address genuine concerns over undocumented movement and demographic insecurity, while maintaining Meghalaya’s openness, plural character and economic connectivity

Guiding questions

• How can Meghalaya balance indigenous identity and demographic security with constitutional rights and legitimate mobility?

• What roles should ILP, MRSSA and other verification mechanisms play in strengthening public confidence and migration governance?

• How can the state distinguish effectively between lawful migration, undocumented movement and genuine security threats without creating social tensions?

• How can traditional institutions, local communities and government agencies collaborate to build a credible, transparent and socially accepted system of identity and mobility governance?

Speaker

• Prof (Dr.) Susmita Sengupta
  Department of Political Science
  North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong

10:00 – 10:50 AM: Drug Trafficking in Meghalaya: Routes, Trends, Enforcement and Community Response

Context

Meghalaya’s location along the India-Bangladesh border and its connectivity with other North Eastern states make it vulnerable to evolving narcotics trafficking networks. Drug movement increasingly involves a combination of inter-state corridors, border routes, courier networks, local distribution chains and organised criminal facilitators, with substances ranging from heroin and pharmaceutical drugs to synthetic narcotics. These trends raise concerns not only for law enforcement but also for public health, youth vulnerability, organised crime and the wider social stability of affected communities.

An effective response requires moving beyond seizures alone towards intelligence-led policing, inter-agency coordination, financial investigation, border surveillance, demand reduction and community participation. Meghalaya Police, BSF, Customs, NCB, district administrations, educational institutions, traditional bodies, civil society and local communities all have important roles in identifying emerging routes, disrupting trafficking networks and supporting prevention and rehabilitation. The session may therefore examine how enforcement and community resilience can be integrated into a more comprehensive anti-narcotics strategy for Meghalaya.

Guiding questions

• What are the major and emerging drug-trafficking routes, substances and distribution patterns affecting Meghalaya?

• How can coordination among Meghalaya Police, BSF, NCB, Customs and neighbouring states be strengthened to disrupt organised trafficking networks?

• How can enforcement move beyond seizures to target financiers, suppliers, local facilitators and criminal networks behind narcotics trafficking?

• What role can communities, educational institutions, traditional bodies and civil society play in prevention, early warning, rehabilitation and reducing youth vulnerability to drugs?

Speakers

• Shri Vikash Kumar, IPS
  Superintendent of Police
  Anti Narcotics Task Force, Meghalaya Police

11:00 – 11:50 AM: Meghalaya’s Bangladesh Borderlands: Infiltration, Smuggling and Community Security 

Context

Meghalaya’s long international boundary with Bangladesh is central to the state’s internal security and border-governance environment. The border supports legitimate trade, cultural connections and cross-border movement, but it is also vulnerable to illegal entry, smuggling of contraband, narcotics trafficking, cattle movement, informal trade networks and other forms of undocumented cross-border activity. Political or economic instability across the border can further influence migration pressures, local security perceptions and the functioning of border communities.

The challenge is to strengthen border security without treating frontier populations merely as objects of surveillance. Effective management requires a combination of fencing and technology, stronger coordination among BSF, Meghalaya Police, Customs and district authorities, intelligence-sharing, lawful trade channels and sustained engagement with local communities. The session may examine how border villages can be empowered as partners in early warning and security while ensuring that enforcement remains proportionate, lawful and sensitive to livelihoods and humanitarian concerns.

Guiding questions

• What are the principal patterns of illegal movement, smuggling and cross-border criminal activity affecting Meghalaya’s Bangladesh frontier?

• What should a comprehensive smart-border model for Meghalaya include in terms of fencing, surveillance, legal trade, technology and local reporting?

• How can border communities be integrated into security and early-warning mechanisms while protecting livelihoods, social trust and humanitarian safeguards?

Speakers

• Ambassador (R) Riewad Warjri, IFS
  Former Indian Foreign Service Officer
  Former Ambassador of India to Colombia

12:00 – 12:50 PM: Countering Infiltration, Smuggling Networks and Community-Led Border Security

Context

For Meghalaya Police, the challenge along the Bangladesh frontier extends beyond preventing illegal crossings to identifying and dismantling the local criminal ecosystems that enable infiltration and smuggling. Such networks may rely on transporters, local facilitators, safe houses, forged documents, informal financial channels, repeat offenders and inter-district connections that allow contraband and undocumented persons to move beyond the immediate border belt. Effective policing therefore requires strong local intelligence, hotspot mapping, criminal-network analysis, coordinated investigations and sustained follow-up after initial interception.

A stronger response must also combine enforcement with community-led policing and early warning. Border residents, village institutions, traditional authorities, transport operators and local stakeholders often possess valuable knowledge of changing routes, unfamiliar movement and emerging criminal activity. Building trusted reporting mechanisms, strengthening coordination between police stations and border districts, improving information-sharing with BSF and other agencies, and using technology for surveillance and data analysis can help Meghalaya Police shift from reactive interception towards predictive, network-focused border policing.

Guiding questions

• How can Meghalaya Police better identify and dismantle the facilitators, transporters, financiers and local networks that support infiltration and smuggling?

• What operational mechanisms can improve real-time coordination between district police, Special Branch, BSF, Customs and neighbouring police jurisdictions?

• How can intelligence, digital tools, hotspot mapping and criminal databases be used to anticipate shifting routes and recurring smuggling patterns?

• What models of community policing and trusted local reporting can strengthen early warning without creating fear, profiling or mistrust in border villages?

Speakers

• Smt . Mary G. T. Sangma, IPS
  Superintendent of Police
  Anti-Infiltration Task Force, Meghalaya Police

13:00 – 13:50 PM: The Challenge of Illegal Mining in Meghalaya

Context

Illegal and unregulated mining in Meghalaya sits at the intersection of livelihoods, environmental protection, customary land ownership, regulatory enforcement and the rule of law. Coal and other mineral extraction have historically supported local economies and employment, but unsafe and unauthorised mining practices have also raised serious concerns relating to environmental degradation, river and groundwater contamination, worker safety, land restoration and compliance with statutory safeguards. The challenge is therefore not simply to prohibit unlawful extraction, but to ensure that resource use takes place within a framework that is legally accountable, environmentally sustainable and sensitive to Meghalaya’s distinctive land-tenure and community structures.

A durable solution requires stronger coordination between the State Government, district administration, mining and environmental authorities, police, local institutions and affected communities. Effective regulation must address illegal extraction as well as transportation, storage, documentation, revenue leakage and environmental rehabilitation. The session may examine how legal oversight, transparent licensing, monitoring technologies, institutional accountability and community participation can together create a mining regime that protects both public interest and legitimate local economic aspirations.

Guiding questions

• What are the principal legal, regulatory and enforcement gaps that continue to enable illegal or unsafe mining in Meghalaya?

• How can mining regulation reconcile customary land rights and community livelihoods with environmental law, worker safety and public accountability?

• What mechanisms are needed to strengthen oversight of extraction, transportation, documentation, environmental compliance and mine restoration?

• How can judicial directions, government agencies and local communities work together to create a transparent, enforceable and sustainable mining governance framework for Meghalaya?

Speakers

• Hon'ble Mr. Justice B. P. Katakey
  Former Hon'ble Judge of Gauhati High Court

13:50 – 14:20 PM: Resources, Rights and Responsibility: Rethinking Mining in Meghalaya 

Context

Mining in Meghalaya is not only an economic or environmental issue; it is deeply connected to indigenous land rights, customary ownership, community livelihoods and local control over natural resources. For many communities, land and mineral resources are tied to identity, inheritance and economic survival. At the same time, unregulated extraction can impose heavy costs through environmental degradation, unsafe working conditions, damage to water sources, loss of agricultural productivity and long-term disruption of community life. The central challenge is therefore to ensure that resource development does not weaken the very communities whose land sustains it.

A more balanced mining framework must place community participation, informed consent, transparency and responsibility at its core. Traditional institutions, local landowners, youth organisations and community representatives should have a meaningful role in decisions concerning extraction, environmental safeguards, rehabilitation and benefit-sharing. The session may explore how Meghalaya can move towards a model where mining supports local prosperity while respecting indigenous rights, strengthening accountability and ensuring that the social and environmental costs of extraction are not disproportionately borne by local communities.

Guiding questions

• How can Meghalaya protect customary land ownership and indigenous resource rights while ensuring responsible and sustainable mining?

• What mechanisms can ensure meaningful community consultation, consent and participation in decisions concerning mining and land use?

• How can mining revenues and economic benefits be shared more fairly with local communities, workers and affected villages?

• What role should traditional institutions, civil society and community organisations play in ensuring environmental accountability, rehabilitation and responsible resource governance?

Speakers

• Shri Sambormi Lygdoh
  President
  Jaintia National Council (JNC)

14:20 – 15:40 PM: Disaster Preparedness in Meghalaya

Context

Meghalaya’s geography and climate make disaster preparedness a critical component of governance and internal resilience. The state is exposed to intense rainfall, floods, landslides, erosion, lightning, infrastructure disruption and other climate-related hazards, while difficult terrain and dispersed settlements can complicate evacuation, logistics and emergency response. Rapid urbanisation, changing land-use patterns and pressure on roads, drainage systems and hill slopes can further increase vulnerability, making preparedness as important as post-disaster relief.

An effective disaster-management system must therefore move from a primarily reactive approach towards risk anticipation, local preparedness and coordinated response. District administrations, police, SDRF, fire and emergency services, health agencies, local bodies, traditional institutions, community organisations and volunteers need clearly defined roles supported by early-warning systems, emergency communication, evacuation planning, stockpiling, training and regular exercises. The session may examine how Meghalaya can build a resilient framework in which communities are not merely recipients of relief, but active partners in prevention, preparedness and first response.

Guiding questions

• What are Meghalaya’s most significant current and emerging disaster risks, and where are the principal preparedness gaps?

• How can early-warning, evacuation, emergency communication and last-mile connectivity be strengthened in remote and high-risk areas?

• What mechanisms can improve coordination among district administrations, SDRF, police, health services, local institutions and community volunteers during emergencies?

• How can Meghalaya institutionalise community-based disaster preparedness, regular training and simulation exercises to reduce response time and improve resilience?

Speakers

• Col K.C. Monnappa (Retd)
  Director
  Disaster Management Division
  Centre for Internal Security Analysis (CISA)

15:40 – 16:20 PM: Youth: Preventing Drugs, Recruitment and Building Resilience

Context

Meghalaya’s young people are navigating a rapidly changing social environment shaped by educational and employment aspirations, urbanisation, migration, changing family and community relationships, digital connectivity and exposure to new cultural influences. While most young people participate positively in society, prolonged unemployment, social alienation, substance abuse, peer pressures and weakening support structures can create vulnerabilities that may be exploited by drug networks, criminal groups, disruptive mobilisation or harmful online influences. Understanding these challenges therefore requires looking beyond individual behaviour to the wider social, cultural and institutional environment in which young people make choices.

Drawing upon an anthropological understanding of tribal society, identity, governance, children and community institutions, the session may examine how Meghalaya’s strong indigenous social structures can become an important source of resilience. Families, Dorbar Shnongs and traditional institutions, educational establishments, churches and faith-based organisations, youth groups, sports and cultural associations, and civil society can all help identify vulnerability early and create meaningful alternatives through mentorship, participation, skills and community belonging. The objective should be to build a youth-resilience model that combines prevention, opportunity, cultural rootedness, psychosocial support and meaningful civic participation, rather than relying primarily on enforcement.

Guiding questions

• What social, economic, cultural and psychological factors make some young people more vulnerable to drug abuse, criminal exploitation or harmful forms of recruitment?

• How are social media, changing aspirations, migration and transformations in traditional community life influencing the identities and choices of Meghalaya’s youth?

• How can families, educational institutions, traditional bodies, churches, youth organisations and civil society create stronger early-warning, mentorship and support systems?

• How can Meghalaya move from treating youth primarily as a vulnerable group towards empowering them as leaders of community resilience, cultural continuity and constructive social change?

Speakers

• Prof (Dr.) Geetika Ranjan
  Professor
  Department of Anthropology
  North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong

16:20 – 17:00 PM: Addressing Meghalaya’s Internal Security Challenges through Educational and Psychological Interventions

Context

Internal security challenges are often shaped long before they reach the attention of policing or enforcement agencies. Among young people in particular, substance abuse, social alienation, exposure to violence, misinformation, peer pressure, unemployment-related frustration, identity anxieties and psychological distress can create vulnerabilities that affect individual wellbeing as well as wider community stability. Educational institutions are therefore uniquely positioned to identify emerging risks early and strengthen protective factors through counselling, mentoring, life-skills education, social-emotional learning and constructive civic engagement.

Drawing upon perspectives from educational psychology, guidance and counselling and inclusive education, the session may explore how schools, colleges, universities, families and community institutions can become part of Meghalaya’s preventive security architecture. Rather than viewing internal security solely through an enforcement lens, greater emphasis can be placed on psychological resilience, early identification of at-risk youth, teacher sensitisation, campus counselling systems, digital and media literacy, conflict-resolution skills and rehabilitation-oriented interventions. A coordinated education-and-mental-wellbeing framework can help prevent vulnerability from progressing into addiction, criminal exploitation, violence or deeper social disengagement.

Guiding questions

• How can schools, colleges and universities identify early psychological and behavioural indicators of vulnerability before they develop into serious social or security concerns?

• What role can counselling, mentoring, life-skills education and psychological support play in preventing drug abuse, violence, alienation and harmful recruitment?

• How can teachers, parents and community institutions be trained to respond effectively to mental distress, digital influence, peer pressure and changing youth behaviour?

• How can Meghalaya integrate educational and psychological interventions with community programmes and public institutions to build a sustainable model of preventive internal security?

Speakers

• Dr. Madhukar Gampala
  Associate Professor
  Department of Education
  North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Tura Campus

17:00 – 17:30 PM: Special Strategic Address: Identity, Migration and Meghalaya’s Social Security

Context

Meghalaya’s contemporary internal-security debate is inseparable from longstanding concerns over indigenous identity, migration, demographic change, land, employment and control over local resources. Demands surrounding the Inner Line Permit (ILP), mechanisms for resident verification, and concerns regarding undocumented or illegal migration reflect a deeper anxiety among indigenous communities about preserving their political representation, customary institutions, cultural identity and economic opportunities. At the same time, Meghalaya remains connected to neighbouring states and Bangladesh through trade, education, employment and legitimate mobility, requiring policy responses that clearly distinguish lawful movement from undocumented migration and genuine security concerns.

The strategic challenge is therefore to develop a framework that protects indigenous aspirations and demographic security while remaining constitutional, evidence-based and socially responsible. This requires credible systems for identifying undocumented residents, stronger border and migration governance, protection of customary land and community institutions, reliable demographic data, and transparent implementation of measures such as the MRSSA and related verification mechanisms. The address may also examine how unemployment, competition over land and resources, perceptions of demographic insecurity and weak institutional trust can amplify social tensions. Meghalaya ultimately needs a model in which indigenous protections, lawful mobility, effective enforcement and social harmony reinforce rather than undermine one another.

Guiding questions

• How should Meghalaya respond to concerns over illegal or undocumented migration and demographic change while distinguishing them clearly from lawful inter-state mobility?

• Can mechanisms such as ILP, MRSSA and resident-verification systems effectively protect indigenous interests, and what institutional safeguards would make them credible and workable?

• How are concerns over land, employment, political representation and cultural identity shaping contemporary debates around migration and social security in Meghalaya?

• What long-term policy framework can reconcile indigenous aspirations, constitutional safeguards, economic openness and social harmony while strengthening public confidence in the state’s migration governance?

Speakers

• Dr. Rikil Chyrmang
  Associate Professor
  Special Centre for the Study of North East India
  Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU)