How Seema Jagaran Manch plays vital role in border management
Updated: May 13, 2025 13:58
Present in 24 border states and Union Territories (UTs) of India, Seema Jagaran Manch, an organisation inspired by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangathan (RSS), has been working to foster a sense of collective responsibility among the villagers towards border security.
Founded on 5 April, 1985 in the border town of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, the Seema Jagaran Manch runs several community development programmes to empower border communities. It engages with the locals through various activities such as seminars, discussions, exhibitions and workshops. The idea is to awaken consciousness of the local citizens about their role in protecting and preserving the borders.
The people living in villages and settlements in the border regions play a vital role in maintaining sovereignty and security of the nation. Borders can be protected effectively by the defence forces in collaboration with local residents. Seema Jagaran Manch works towards bringing all the stakeholders together, bridging the gap.
The Manch has taken up the task of helping the Indian authorities as well as local communities to strengthen border management.
“In the light of the Pahalgam terror attack, it is time to revisit some fundamental issues, one of which is ‘border management’. It is important to note that border management is not solely the task of defence forces. The local communities living in border areas play an important role, especially when it comes to checking infiltration across the border,” suggests senior journalist and columnist Arun Anand in an article.
Seema Jagaran Manch, as per its official website, operates through various wings covering almost all the frontline villages of strategic importance. Their area of work is focused on community development and border security. The organisation has been actively working in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi. Seemant Chetna Manch, an offshoot of Seema JagaranManch operates mainly in the North East states of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal and Odisha.
Seemajan Kalyan Samiti, another offshoot, works in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Rajasthan. Similarly, Sarhadi Lok Seva Samiti is active in Punjab. Similarly, Sagariya Seema Manch is focused on Maharashtra and Goa, while Bhartiya Matsya Pravartak Sangh operates in Kerala, Karavali Kalyan Parishad in Karnataka and MatsyakarSamakshem Samiti in Andhra Pradesh. Samudra Bharti has been active in Tamil Nadu.
Each of these branches or offshoots design their activities according to the requirements and challenges of that area. Workshops, seminars and awareness campaigns are held to sensitise the border communities about their role in national security. Apart from this, border study centres known as Seema Adhyayan Sansthan are being run in the area. These are used as the hubs for disseminating information related to border security and to establish a regular dialogue with the local community. Seema Vandan Yatra is a flagship initiative of the Manch which is aimed at rejuvenating India’s border villages. The first phase of the Yatra began on 19 December, 2024 from Somnath, Gujarat and concluded on 27 December, 2024 in Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan. The journey focused on understanding the challenges and aspirations of these resilient communities while celebrating their cultural heritage. It also facilitated exchange of ideas as part of community engagement.
Seema Jagaran Manch also conducts seminars and dialogues on national security. In October 2024, a seminar titled ‘Bharat Ki RashtriyaSuraksha (National Security of India)’ was held in Delhi in which discussions took place on traditional and non-traditional security threats. To increase educational and cultural outreach, Seema Jagaran Manch undertakes initiatives aimed at promoting India’s rich cultural tradition. It distributed the text copies of Vedas and Upanishads among youth in Bihar to instil a sense of cultural pride.
It organises sports events for the youngsters living in the border villages to foster a sense of camaraderie. A kabaddi(an Indian sport) tournament was organised in Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh. The teams from many villages took part in it.
As part of its advocacy and policy engagement initiative, Seema Jagaran Manch takes up various issues with policy makers facing the border communities. Migration from border areas due to economic hardships faced by the residents and lack of basic amenities are among the major challenges in preserving the social fabric and culture of the border regions.
The Manch has been advocating for developing infrastructure, providing basic amenities and creating employment opportunities in the border villages to stop migration from these areas.
The Manch also works with the security agencies and the local administration to address security concerns due to infiltration activities taking place in the border areas.
“Infiltration of terrorists and spies, smuggling of arms, drugs and gold and lack of infrastructure are the main challenges for the government,” states the official website.
The Manch publishes ‘Seema Sanghosh’, a journal focusing on border-related issues. It covers topics related to internal as well as border security.
As part of its expansion plans, Seema Jagaran Manch plans to increase its outreach, especially among the youth by expanding its study centres and launch more programmes to involve the youth in the activities focused on national security and cultural awareness. Apart from this, it also plans to continue to collaborate with the government departments to improve infrastructure, conduct research on border security issues as well as advocate for policies that address the unique challenges of border communities.
India shares its boundary of over 15,000-kilometres land border with seven countries-Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Nepal and Bhutan. India also has 7,500 kilometres long coastal border. The land boundary of India touches 92 districts of 17 states, while coastline touches 13 states and UTs. Indo-Pak border is one of the top five most dangerous borders in the world, as per the Manch.
Seema Jagaran Manch is playing an important role in safeguarding the borders. By empowering border communities and fostering a spirit of vigilance and cooperation among them, it is playing a pivotal role in making India safer by aiding significantly in the long-term development of the border regions.
(The writer is a senior journalist)
