Cabinet clears border pact with Bangladesh

Yusuf

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NEW DELHI: Stalled since September last year, a constitutional amendment to ratify the India-Bangladesh boundary agreement got the nod from the Cabinet committee on security (CCS) on Thursday and is likely to be placed before Parliament in the monsoon session.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is looking to push through one of his big-ticket foreign policy initiatives, a bid to seal the Indian and Bangladeshi positions on enclaves and areas under adverse possession. Singh and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina had signed the land boundary agreement (LBA) in Dhaka last year.

An updated version of the Indira-Mujib agreement of 1974, the accord's ratification will require a constitutional amendment of Article 368. While the Teesta water treaty - blocked by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee - raised a lot of heat, the LBA has greater strategic importance for the neighbours.

If the LBA makes it through Parliament, it will be a boost for bilateral ties and ease the pressure on the Hasina government as India's inability to proceed with the Teesta treaty led to considerable heartburn in Bangladesh.

Government works for consensus

While the government looks to concretize the land boundary agreement (LBA) reached by PM Manmohan Singh and Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina last year, the political climate in India is fragile enough for uncertainty to cloud the positive nature of the endeavour.

For the agreement to pass muster, the BJP has to be on board as without the main opposition, the constitutional amendment may not succeed. Sources said the government has been assiduously working with the BJP to ensure support, and the effort will be intensified in coming days as the government plans to engage with the saffron outfit's leadership.

Mamata Banerjee will have to be taken into confidence too, and sources said foreign minister S M Krishna had been assigned the task who is likely to travel to Kolkata. India and Bangladesh share a 4,096km land boundary covering West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram. The constitutional amendment will have to be passed by two-thirds of members "present and voting" and ratified by state legislatures. The Parliamentary and legislative processes are subject to disruption, but Singh needs to make some strenuous efforts in the coming months. The LBA will not only change contours of India's map, but will be the first resolved boundary with any neighbour. The agreement will formalize status quo on enclaves and areas under adverse possession, entailing neither transfer of territory nor people.Around 53,000 people residing in the enclaves, who have just been counted in the first ever census in these areas, will get the citizenship of the country they are living in.

The Times of India on Mobile
 

ejazr

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In the interest of the nation, the BJP should work constructively to get this border pact sealed. This will help in fencing the last stretches of Indo-BD border and provide a more secure border for India as a whole. Regarding the people living in the enclaves, joint surveys conducted have shown that there will be no massive influx into India from the enclaves inside BD either.

Amid worries expressed by the West Bengal government about the possibility of a huge influx should there be an exchange of enclaves between India and Bangladesh, here are the first indications of how the people living in those enclaves are inclined.

A door-to-door survey has revealed that 148 Hindu and one Muslim families, respectively representing 738 and five people of the 34,000 living in 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh, would be willing to cross over to India should there be such an exchange. And all 17,000 living in 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India would rather remain where they are.
If enclaves are exchanged, only a handful will want to move - Indian Express
 

Predator

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>>And all 17,000 living in 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India would rather remain where they are.

So India will have to take this burden of giving citizenship to 17,000 bangladeshis, we can see what these bangladeshis did in assam in bodoland. Dont commit the same mistake in West Bengal.


>>Bangladesh gains roughly 10,000 acres if the exchange is carried out.

So congress is donating Indian land to Bangladesh. Shouldn't the land and population exchange be equal?
 

anoop_mig25

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i support population exchange why should be there population exchange and base on which hypothesis did gov officers came on this decision that
A door-to-door survey has revealed that 148 Hindu and one Muslim families, respectively representing 738 and five people of the 34,000 living in 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh, would be willing to cross over to India should there be such an exchange. And all 17,000 living in 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India would rather remain where they are.
 

pmaitra

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Exchange the land and the people. Get done with it once and for all. Start fencing immediately after.
 

devgupt

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It is in our interest to get the borders unambigously defined .Get it done asap and focus on the real challenge - fencing which should then be started on a war footing. In the long run, loss of a few miles won't count much , if we get a free hand in sealing the border.
 
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A chauhan

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Deport Bangladeshi Infiltrator Muslims and finalise the pact !

But I have doubts on Congress's Motives !
 

natarajan

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In the interest of the nation, the BJP should work constructively to get this border pact sealed. This will help in fencing the last stretches of Indo-BD border and provide a more secure border for India as a whole. Regarding the people living in the enclaves, joint surveys conducted have shown that there will be no massive influx into India from the enclaves inside BD either.


If enclaves are exchanged, only a handful will want to move - Indian Express
Is bjp in central or what you are trying to say
 

Bhadra

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The devil lies in the details...
So yusuf Bahi what are the details?

In theory, all accords are fine......
 

Yusuf

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The devil lies in the details...
So yusuf Bahi what are the details?

In theory, all accords are fine......
I am happy for only one reason. Such a resolution with Pakistan will never pass a 2/3rd in parliament which gives me a good nights sleep as I always kept worrying about the current legacy seeking PM would shortchange India. Hell carry on with the Aman Ka Tamasha. Kuch nahi hoga!

I really don't know what the details are as there is very little in the report. Just that there will be a recognition of each others current position ie status quo with population exchange for those who want to move. India is going to lose some territory as per our claim I think which mandates te constitutional amendment. So looks like some kind of "generosity" on the part of India to settle the border with BD. I have a feeling that no one will raise a hue and cry as the area is well filled with people who we don't want. There also will be "legalization" of certain BD people living in Indian side of BD enclave. That is if they don't move. India should ask them to leave.
 

agentperry

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if 10000 acre can win a nation and prevent militancy in entire north east india then i think its a great bargain
 

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