By Kartik Lokhande
The ratification of Land Boundary
Agreement of 1974 and the Protocol of 2011 between India and Bangladesh is
indeed a new chapter in not only the foreign relations between both the
countries but also in India’s external affairs. Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi
and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina both showed their determination to iron
out the issues pertaining to land boundary through expeditious implementation
of the historic Land Boundary Agreement (LBA).
The agreement has its roots in
the partition of India in 1947. Then, Sir Cyril Radcliffe had drawn up a line
separating India and Pakistan. Later, this Radcliffe Line became the border
between India and liberated East Pakistan now known as Bangladesh. There were
issues to be settled and Land Boundary Agreement of 1974 was signed between
both the countries. These issued included undemarcated land boundary of 6.1
kms, exchange of enclaves, and ‘adverse possessions’. However, the situation on
ground remained complex as the LBA could not come into desired effect. In the
past few years, it gained momentum with the signing of the Protocol in 2011 to
effect LBA.
As is the case, ratification of
LBA is being hailed in both the countries. Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi equated
the development with fall of Berlin Wall. Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina also
welcomed it. Even Bangladesh hardliner group Jamaat-e-Islami’s Acting Secretary
General Dr Shafiqur Rahman welcomed it as a ‘new era’ of mutual trust and respect.
And, all of them are correct in
defining the moment has historic. For years, because of undemarcated border and
enclaves in each other’s territories, as well as ‘adverse possessions’, both
the countries and especially India suffered a lot. The major contributors to
these sufferings being illegal immigration, porous borders, smuggling, illegal
activities like transport of fake currency notes, trans-border crimes. Owing to
undemarcated boundary and adverse possessions, there were incidences of
exchange of fire between the militaries of India and Bangladesh, till as
recently as 1999.
What had stalled the effect of
the agreement was a perception that there would be loss of land, especially to
India. For, in exchange of enclaves, India would transfer 111 enclaves with
total area of 17,160.63 acres to Bangladesh, while the latter would transfer 51
enclaves with total area of 7,110.02 acres to the former. The top policy-makers
knew that this perception had no basis of ground situation. Still, they exercised
abundant caution while inking the documents over the years. As far as these
enclaves are concerned, they are located deep inside the territories of both
the countries and there has been no physical access for either. Thus, the
ratification of LBA vis-à-vis is merely – as the document of Ministry of
External Affairs (India) describes it – conversion of a ‘de facto reality into
a de jure situation’.
Not only does this ratification
give the residents of these areas their ‘homeland’, but also offers a better
road ahead from strategic view-point. For, any country with well-defined and settled
borders can fine-tune its diplomacy, strategy, economy, and security on that
basis.
India and Bangladesh can build up
on this development, and enough indications are given by the premiers of both
the countries that there would be enhanced co-operation in various sectors
mainly including security.
However, for India, the success
of the historic ratification will also be in effective sorting out of the long-pending
problem of illegal immigration from Bangladesh, especially into the
North-Eastern states. As per the 2001 Census, an estimated 3.1 million
Bangladeshis were residing in India. The revised estimates in 2009 pegged the
figure at 15 million. In 2012, the then Minister of State (Home) Mullapally
Ramachandran had stated that in past 10 years, around 1.4 million Bangladeshis
had entered India.
Whatever the numbers, but illegal
immigration from Bangladesh to India remains the hard fact. It has adversely
affected the socio-political and socio-economic dimensions in North-Eastern
states like Assam. Involvement of many of these migrants into illegal
activities is no secret. In fact, this illegal immigration has been one of the
factors responsible for cropping up of new internal security challenges for Indian
establishment.
Against this backdrop, the
Government of India needs to find a long-term effective solution to not only
check the illegal immigration from Bangladesh but also to find solution to
problems created by illegal immigration in the past.
Then only, the new chapter of
relations between India and Bangladesh will be glorious one indeed.
(08-06-15)
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