Interest of the people should take precedence in foreign policy formulations which have a direct impact on their lives. This was the overwhelming sentiment expressed by the people living on either side of the India-Bangladesh border during a field visit early May this year.
India and Bangladesh relations have made significant progress in the past few years. The improved relationship has led to a few major bilateral agreements like the land boundary agreement signed in September 2011. There are likewise significant changes in policies related to trade and transit, like opening of border haats and duty free access to all Bangladeshi products into the Indian market. There is also talk about greater connectivity between two countries which will enable north-eastern states to gain access to the Chittagong port. India’s keen interest in pursuing these initiatives is aimed not only at improving relationship with an important neighbour but also to help develop its north-eastern states.
Despite these positive trends, people living in the border areas are reluctant to express their whole hearted support to the improvement in the bilateral relationship. In fact a sense of dejection is quite strong among the people. Much of this sentiment is due to government’s failure to understand the sentiments of the people.
India and Bangladesh share 4096 kilometres of border running through 5 Indian states including West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. The border passes through flat and hilly terrain, rivers and jungles. At times the border passes through heavily populated areas and cultivation is carried out very close to the border. Only a border pillar marks the boundary. People having common ethnicity, language and culture live on the border. Locating riverine boundary is not always easy as it is difficult to establish a permanent border outpost due to swelling rivers during the rainy seasons. Many a chars (river island) that appear in the dry season and are then occupied by people get completely submerged in the rainy season.
These factors have made the border extremely porous and the area is prone to various cross border illegal activities ranging from smuggling of livestock and arms, and trafficking of human being. To prevent such illegal activities, India has invested in an expensive project of fencing the borders. For the people living close to the border, fencing has come as a big boon. They believe that much of the illegal activities have been contained but they ask for stricter patrolling and firmer policy. Proper maintenance of the fences is necessary because in some places, especially in southern Assam, floods and rain have damaged them extensively. These damaged portions present an additional set of challenges to the Border Security Force as the `gaps` are being exploited by the criminal gangs.
Although there is popular agreement about the positive impact of border fencing, the dissenting voices also persist among section of the people. Since the fence was laid 150 yards from the international border within the Indian territory, a large number of people living close to the border strongly feel that they have been abandoned. They argue that these fences have changed their lives forever. They feel `stateless`. They argue that they have paid a heavy price for the country’s security but have not been suitably compensated. The only passage for these people is through gates in the fence. The timings of opening and closing of the gates are restricted and often people reaching late are left at the mercy of the border guards or forced to stay out.
Our people also complain that people on the other side of the border take the fences as marking of the international border and they freely venture into these Indian areas. These areas have become places where criminals across the border operate freely and they regularly harass Indian citizen residing there. They observe that by putting fences within 150 yards from the international boundary India is losing land to Bangladesh.
Anger is also high among people, especially those living in Meghalaya and in Assam, over the land boundary agreement. The agreement was signed to resolve the border issues between the two countries including exchange of enclaves, delimitation of 6.5 kms of disputed boundary and lands in adverse possession. The agreement is not yet functional as its ratification by Indian Parliament is pending. People complain that they were not consulted before an agreement was signed which directly impacts their lives and livelihood. Our authorities should take steps to explain to them the necessity of setting this problem for the improved India and Bangladesh relations.
However, generally people are enthusiastic about the initiatives undertaken to increase the cross-border trade. The believe opening of trade would chart a new future for them. Steps like opening of border haats are being welcomed and there is a growing demand for more such haats on the border. People also want a larger number of commodities to be traded in these haats. They also await the setting up of necessary infrastructure to encourage the flow of trade. There is urgent need for upgrading the road infrastructure and also the land custom stations. The infrastructure in the land custom stations particularly in Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura is inadequate and is hampering trade. The conditions at the Sutarkandi land custom station (LCS) are a case in point. The International trade centre at Sutarkandi was inaugurated in 2007. Five years down the line, it is only partly functional due to lack of adequate infrastructure. In many cases buildings which house customs offices are in a disgraceful condition.
Improvement in India-Bangladesh relations will greatly depend on how people living on either side of the border feel. It is not late to rectify some of the previous mistakes. The government must listen to their grievances and suggestions and make a sincere effort to reach out to them, especially in regard to the importance and necessity of the land boundary agreement.
(Joyeeta Bhattacharjee is Associate Fellow at ORF. This article is based on personal interviews of the author in early May this year with people living along the India-Bangladesh border of Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura)
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