All India Radio: Land Swap Deal With Bangladesh and National Security
India’s PM has announced that India would soon ratify the land agreement protocol with Bangladesh.
Background :
When partition was done based on Sir Redcliff line, it was easier to draw the map but on the ground there were densely populated people living closely on both the sides with different opinion, having stakes on agriculture, business and trade on both the sides and also there were natural cantors like hills and rivers where it’s tough to demarcate the boundary.
The issue has been sprinkling up since 1947 partition, still we were not been able to solve it even though many efforts have been done towards this end.
- Soon after partition PM Nehru and counterpart of Pakistan Feroz khan Noon (as Bangladesh was east Pakistan) signed an agreement called Nehru-Noon agreement.
- It could not be successful as supreme court of India struck it down as it has to be passed in the parliament with 2/3rd majority.
- Again this issue was taken up in 1971 soon after Bangladesh was born, by PM Indira Gandhi and Bangla PM Majabor Rehman called Indira-Moori pact but again it couldn’t be passed in Parliament.
- In 2011 PM Manmohan Singh and his Bangla counterpart Sheik Haseena has signed land protocol agreement in 2011 but again couldn’t lead to any positive result.
- Even though it has been passed by Bangladesh parliament it couldn’t be successful as boundaries keep on changing, there arises basic question, what is the map?
3 DISPUTED ISSUES AND THE WAY AHEAD:
- Out of 4000 km boundary line, roughly 6 km has not been agreed which can be divided into 3 pieces which falls 1 each in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura. In this patch of area pillars has to raised, boundaries has to demarcated.
- Traditional problem of enclave. i.e., people in close border areas are given choice to become either citizens of Bangladesh or India. This has to be done by consulting people and doing survey.
- There is issue of adverse position. It is a very complicated matter as certain areas of land which belong to India were being cultivated by Bangla people and vice versa. This is also in the process of being solved. For instance CM of Assam on 700 acres of adverse areas of Assam divided it and 268 acres was given away to Bangladesh.
SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT IF BORDER ISSUES ARE SOLVED:
- Once border issue has been solved then boundaries can be defined so pillars can be put, proper fencing can be done and it would ease BSF security forces guarding it.
- Helps check illegal migration which has been a major problem which has been termed as demographic invasion driving to out populate indigenous community and region.
- This has led to the sources of social and political tension in the entire north east area.
- Smuggling of goods, drugs, trafficking of women and children can all be put under check.
CONCLUSION:
India and Bangladesh share a boundary of 4000 km and this dispute of 6 km which is less than 0.01% has to solved at the earliest in the interest of the 2 nations. Once this major dispute is resolved it’s consequences will have major impact and also it builds a positive atmosphere of trust and friendship which not only paves the way for resolving other disputes but also we can work on building trade and connectivity both road and railways and also some of the Indian companies can invest in Bangladesh and marketed back in India so that we can improve the economy on both the sides.
