Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K. Sangma on Saturday exhorted all northeastern states to adopt a unified, coordinated and cohesive strategy to tackle common threats.

Speaking at the passing out parade of the 46th Batch Basic Course trainees at the North Eastern Police Academy at Umsaw in Ri Bhoi district, he said, “If we are to succeed in this endeavour for the security of the Northeast, all the states of the region must adopt a unified, coordinated and cohesive strategy to tackle common threats faced by us.”

He said police in the region have a special role to play. The challenges are multiple because each of the states shares a border with another country and many of the inimical and criminal elements take advantage of cross-border and international linkages to escape the clutches of law, he added.

Conrad said not only must the police of the region act in coordination and with unity of purpose to tackle security issues but there was also a need for close liaison between the state police and border guarding forces to prevent ingress of undesirable elements and their escape after committing crimes inside India.

Conrad said the academy can act as a nodal training agency to design and conduct specialised training modules for the police of the region and the central armed police forces deployed on the northeastern borders to ensure uniform strategy and streamlining of efforts.

He said his government was fully committed to working towards peace, progress and prosperity. He said the government was willing to walk the extra mile to talk peace with those willing to engage within the framework of the Constitution but would not hesitate to act firmly against inimical elements.

Addressing the young officers, he said they would face “pressure” to demonstrate increasing efficiency in handling crime and law and order but they must “always remain steadfast in resisting the pressure to follow illegal orders or adopt illegal means to achieve goals”. He said, “I urge you to always keep in mind that you owe allegiance only to the Constitution and to the duly enacted laws of this country and be true to the oath you have sworn on the Tricolour.”

The 46th Basic Course comprised 14 DSPs from Nagaland, 169 sub-inspectors, including 114 from Meghalaya, 21 from Nagaland, 20 from Manipur, 13 from Mizoram, one from Tripura, and 13 assistant sub-inspectors — 11 from Nagaland and two from Manipur. The 50 weeks’ basic training had commenced on January 7.