Modi is right to push for the border agreement
The push to finalise the long-pending India-Bangladesh land border agreement, both from the Prime Minister's side and from Parliament, could not have come a day sooner. Once operational, the pact will benefit the lives of more than 51,000 people residing in the contested border areas; help both countries strengthen their border security apparatus; and improve bilateral ties. India and Bangladesh share a 4,000km long and messy land border that is porous and occasionally un-demarcated. There are small patches of land or enclaves that belong to one country but are surrounded by the other, as well as adversely-held territories which are controlled by one country but legally belong to the other. The residents of these enclaves (in some cases, there are enclaves within enclaves) and adversely-held territories live in no man's land — they are tied to both countries but in reality, belong to neither. Once the lBA comes into effect, these people will have a country to call their own. Also, with the borders clearly delineated, both Governments will be able to offer better governance in these areas and initiate much-needed development processes there. Specifically, from the security perspective, both countries will be able to do a better job of manning the borders and controlling the flow of illegal immigrants, criminal elements and insurgents.
The operationalisation of the agreement will also be an important step by India to reiterate its commitment to strong bilateral ties with Bangladesh. Dhaka had ratified the pact soon after it was signed by in 1974. However, New Delhi has dragged its feet for four decades, as the pact called for the ceding of territory to Bangladesh. Under the lBA, India will give to Bangladesh 111 Indian enclaves (17,160.63 acres) located within Bangladeshi territory, and receive 51 Bangladeshi enclaves (7,110.02 acres) located within Indian territory. Additionally, it will also transfer 2,267.682 acres of adversely-held land to Bangladesh while the latter will hand over 2,777.038 acres of land to India. Since the adversely-held areas are already under the control of the ‘other' Government, the lBA will only be legitimising the ground situation. Only in the case of the enclaves will there be any ‘real' loss or gain of territory. And here too, the loss is largely notional, since India hardly controls its enclaves in Bangladesh. Moreover, the benefits of this land swap far outweigh any sentimental or rhetorical talk about territorial integrity — and at the national level, there has been a general agreement on this for a while now.
Even the BJP, which had stonewalled the deal when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sought to finalise it in 2011, has eventually come around. The party did not oppose the Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill, 2013, when it was tabled in the 2013 Winter Session of Parliament to ratify the lBA. If there was ever any real opposition to the deal, it was from local-level politicians and workers across party lines. Unfortunately, a weak leadership at the Centre had meant that there was no one to bring them on board. This is where Prime Minister Modi has made a difference — using the illegal immigration card, which he knows is important to local leaders, he has deftly sought to make them see reason.