Thanks to my interest and knowledge to this particular international conflict this had put my mind at unease. At the first few search results on the internet, what I could find is more and more news websites confirming this perceived gift exchange. I however sensed a vacuum behind all these protests and critical remarks, none explained the history and need of this transfer. I did not give up and finally after a lot research stumbled upon the fact that this whole negotiation is about ending the issue of enclaves in each other's territory and porous borders. This word enclave caught my attention to a great extent because I had only known the word geographically and not in the context of political international borders.
Well I am glad I took those extra few hours off my schedule to read about Those Few Acres: An enclave is a territory whose geographical boundaries lie entirely within the boundaries of another territory. India and Bangladesh has some most complex sets of enclaves in each other boundaries. An area of Indian land surrounded completely by Bangladesh and vice versa. The origin is mainly because of dealings between two monarch kingdom of Cooch behar and Rangpur. During the haste of partition, the states divided as they were and the issues were left for the future.
Take a deep look at the map above(bigger version on wiki), especially at those dots, those we have never visited or even have known about. There are real people who live in such places and have been fighting everyday from last 60 years to come out of their land-locked jails. They do not have power, water, TV sets, civic amenities (No not even Facebook !).. they burn their own garbage, children do not go to schools and pray for miracles when they fall sick and wait for one day somebody will call them their own, in a country and come out of this virtual stone age. Now a little more trivia, there are territories, enclaves of other side and own enclaves inside these. So India's land in Bangladesh, and inside them Bangladesh's Lands and inside them Indian land. All inhabited by people waiting for a solution that did not come in a life time. Now let us go to numbers: There are 102 Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh and 71 of Bangladesh's inside India. 1600 Acres of Indian land that side and almost 1000 acres of BD land on India's side(aprox).Apart from this India shares a very complex and porous land border with Bangladesh, which has been a bleeding point while tackling many internal insurgence within, besides illegal immigration.
This is what the two countries are trying to sort out and with little knowledge of land wars that I have, I know such solutions do not come without compromises, most of which will look ridiculous when looked in isolation.
Now let us look what we gain and loose in different options. Neutrally speaking the most Natural SOLUTION is to keep each others enclaves, India looses 600 acres in this case. Remember if we fail to arrive at a solution after few years we will practically leave the land on each other's territory anyways. Another trivia, there are already voices for union with Bangladesh and/or independence from both the countries.
Looking at the final draft that proposes a transfer of only 60 acres to Bangladesh. In my opinion this magnitude of land looking at a possible pay-off of a completely sealed Indo-Bangla border is a great preposition. We stand to loose 600 acres anyways(which cannot be accessed by our emotional friends). The formal procedure also includes very well coordinated transfer of citizenship etc.
Practically we loose resources worth way more than 60 acres of land to illegal immigrants crossing over. Even dangerous a huge numbers of fugitives have escaped because of these complex borders, besides few innocent lives waiting for a life.
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Here is the end of my technical summarization on this topic. After this research I logged on to networking sites with a new light and I felt very obligated to spread this message across. I have seen all sorts of patriotic emotions but nobody made any effort to understand the deeper issues though most of us very well educated to broaden our views.
I am equally shaken to also sense an underlying derogation about the state of Bangladesh. Many proposing as a country it is not worth considering a bargaining status. Well for their kind consideration, this is absolute rubbish and if you really think so, you need some good study of international politics. Bangladesh like any other country has friends, enemies, enemies of enemies. And all those who talk about you can go and bully Bangladesh out of their land .. you dont know what are you talking about.
Amongst all this, I really felt most astonished on what was government's reaction to all this. Like every time .. "MM Silent" mode, pathetic. I felt very sorry that we could not conduct an informed discussion as a country. I strongly feel that the establishment owes the Indian population and also media a complete explanation of why and whats. It brings to the larger issue how a combined ignorance can lead to really mis-placed emotions of a whole country.
Dear friends, I request you all to share this blog with all. Because more than a land issue this represents how we forget about real lives and start talking on complete perceptions. The larger issue being the role of government to inform, media to carry it in the medium and OUR PEOPLE to Discuss and Decide.
Thanking you all .. JAI HIND !
The unusual Talkative.
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