Not more than 15,000 people living in Bangladeshi enclaves inside India have expressed their willingness to migrate into Indian side and accept this country’s citizenship. According to reports about 14,215 people who were thus far living in Bangladeshi enclaves inside India have sought Indian citizenship.
Similarly about 36,000 Indians living in Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh have decided to accept that country’s citizenship.
India and Bangladesh recently signed an accord whereby 51 Bangladeshi enclaves inside Indian border would come to India and 111 Indian enclaves or chitmahals situated inside that country would go to Bangladesh.
As a result India would get about 7,000 acres of land and Bangladesh would get about 17,000 acres. Currently a little more than 51,000 people live in these enclaves or chits or administrative mouzas.
Citing reasons behind the reluctance shown by the locals to migrate out of their chits in Bangladesh some NGOs have alleged that the Indians living in the enclaves in that country were under intense pressure not to migrate as “this would sully their secular and pro-minority image.”
Bimal Biswas (name changed) an activist at Kuchlibari enclave said “the Hindu minorities who live in Indian enclaves inside Bangladedsh are either being lured with incentives to stay back in that country or they are being pressurised by the local political toughs to do so. This is the reason why about a thousand people from that part have applied to migrate into India.”
Incidentally, a Congress MP had recently written a letter requesting the Centre to extend the date of survey conducted by the Government on the ground situation before exchange of enclaves.
Meanwhile, observers said the Mamata Banerjee Government could stand benefited by the lesser amount of people coming to live in this side of the border as this would mean lesser financial burden. The State had already demanded a hefty package from the Centre for rehabilitation purpose.
While Bengal Chief Minister had hoped that about 70,000 people would migrate to India the Foreign Ministry had put the figure to around 35,000. However, as the situation could turnout India would have to bear the burden of not more than 14,000 people officials said.