EGP edges lower against USD in early Monday trade    Egypt delivers over 30 million health services through public hospitals in H1 2025    Egypt joins Geneva negotiations on Global Plastics Treaty, calls for urgent agreement    Madinet Masr in talks for three land plots in Riyadh as part of Saudi expansion    Egypt's PM tells Palestinian PM that Rafah crossing is working 24/7 for aid    Egypt, Japan discuss economic ties, preparations for TICAD conference    Real Estate Developers urge flexible land pricing, streamlined licensing, and dollar-based transactions    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Egypt's Supreme Energy Council reviews power supply plans for 14 industrial projects    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Finally an identity for India-Bangladesh enclave denizens
Published in Daily News Egypt on 31 - 07 - 2015

For decades, some 50,000 stateless people have lived in tiny enclaves in the border area between Bangladesh and India. But after a new agreement between the two countries, they will finally acquire citizenship.
The enclaves are not visible on the world map. A closer and magnified look shows small dots in a zigzag on a fringe. That is the complicated border region along the Indo-Bangladeshi border, which for years has been the cause of a protracted territorial dispute between the two South Asian neighbors.
The enclaves date back to a time before 1947 when the Indian subcontinent was part of the British Empire and are the result of territorial divisions between Maharajas and Indian princes vying for influence in the British Raj.
There are more than 160 enclaves and sub-enclaves in the area where Indians live in Bangladesh and vice versa. They are no bigger than a rice field, or a small village, with inhabitants largely forgotten by their respective governments. The marshy region is desperately poor and lacks roads, schools, hospitals and other public institutions. The people who live here are considered stateless, and hence not entitled to social benefits. Officially, they are not even allowed to leave their respective enclaves – the border crossing is illegal.
Historic deal in Dhaka
On Friday, July 31, the enclaves were officially incorporated and returned to the respective state in which they are located. The ones on the Indian side of the border are part of the Indian territory and vice versa. People are free to stay on their land or return to their respective countries. They are also expected to opt for one of the two nationalities. An agreement between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina in early June made this possible.
The deal was described by Bangladesh's Foreign Minister as a "historic milestone in bilateral relations." "We have found a solution for a dispute that lingered since independence. The two countries have settled their border dispute, which will make people's lives safer," said FM Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali after the signing of the agreement.
A violent border
The border area has seen much violence in past years. For instance, the border police "shoots to kill" if it finds a refugee crossing into their border. According to the Human Rights Watch, some 1,000 people were killed in the area between 2001 and 2011.
Moreover, very few cases are investigated. The security forces, who have never been prosecuted for these killings, intimidate the impoverished families of the victims not to pursue the cases. Approximately 50,000 soldiers are deployed along the 2,000-kilometer long barbed fence.
But the signing of the new border agreement could solve most of these problems, said Madhu Kishwar, a professor at the Center for the Study of Developing Societies in New Delhi. The expert, however, feels the "issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh to India" would persist.
A complex issue
Overall, the standard of living on the Indian side of the border is higher than on the Bangladeshi one. But Kishwar is of the view that economic reasons alone are not the only factor behind illegal border crossings. "Of course, there are refugees who want to go to India for economic reasons. But a lot of illegal migration has a very different political background. Radical Islamists want to influence the demographic composition of the border region. In some Indian border districts there is now a Muslim majority," she told DW.
The migration trend, according to Kishawr, is largely moving in one direction. "Neither Indian Muslims nor Indian Hindus have a particularly strong interest in moving to Bangladesh," she said.
But sometimes the reasons for migrating are very personal. Binod Chandra, for example, lives in an Indian enclave on the Bangladeshi side and wants to migrate to India. "Almost all my relatives live in India. I want to be near them," said Chopra.
For Shahjahan Mondol, who lives in the same enclave, the reason is entirely different: "Bangladesh means everything to me. My family is scattered across the country. Where can I go leaving them all behind?"
Indian or Bangladeshi?
Several ministries and the Indian state of West Bengal conducted a survey between July 6-16, urging those residing in the area to choose one of the two nationalities. While no official statements on the survey's outcome have been made, The Hindu newspaper quotes NGO Bharat Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee as saying that most Bangladeshis living on the Indian side would prefer to remain in India.
Indians living on the Bangladeshi side, however, say the decision on whether to leave or stay will ultimately depend on whether they will be compensated for leaving their homes. The problem is that there seem to be no clear guidelines for such cases.
The results of the survey will show who wants to live on which side of the border and under which nationality. Authorities expect relocations and naturalization procedures to be completed by the end of November.


Clic here to read the story from its source.