People living in enclaves have threatened Mamata Banerjee that they would be bound to go back to Bangladesh if there demands are not fulfilled soon
Asim Kumar Mitra
Bangladesh and India exchanged 162 adversely-held enclaves (In Bengal enclaves are popularly known as ‘Chhitmahals’) in 2015, ending world’s one of the most complex border disputes that had lingered for decades. One hundred and eleven Indian ‘enclaves’ measuring 17,160 acres became Bangladesh territory and similarly, 51 Bangladesh located enclaves measuring 7,110 acres became Indian Territory. All the Indian enclaves are located in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district.
There were many promises made in the pact for the people living in enclaves in both the countries and these promises have agreed by both India and Bangladesh Governments. While implementing this pact the Government of West Bengal on Indian side has created a tricky situation. The State Government wants to put Indian Government in a derogatory situation. This was not at all conceived of. But the Government run by Mamata Banerjee might have taken a vow to defame the Central Government run by Narendra Modi for whatever reasons best known to her. But because of this
unfortunate infighting, people of Indian origin living in enclave are suffering the most. On the part of the Government of India, they have given required money for the rehabilitation of enclave people. But State Government is playing
politics with that money which is
the most unfortunate. The State Government was bound to provide proper facilities to the people of enclaves, but the Governmnet failed to do so. They have not yet been provided with proper accommodation which is a great laxity on the part of the West Bengal Government.
A peculiar situation arose when 14,000
persons staying in Bangladeshi enclaves in India, opted to stay in India, while only near about 979 opted to return to India out of
the estimated 37,000
persons living in Indian enclaves in Bangladesh.
West Bengal Governmment had
decided to adjust these (979) ‘enclave’ people in flats to be built up at Changrabandha in Cooch behar. Although these ‘enclave’ people had come to the side of India in 2015, they were not given any permanent houses to live in. They were kept in three
tin-surrounded temporary thatched
campuses with a promise that they would be transferred to permanent flats in no time. Much water has flowed in Ganga and Padma river, but nothing has happened as yet.
‘Enclave’ people have been pursuing the matter with the administration. They have put the poor enclave people in extremely unhygienic conditions. Even newly married couples were
compelled to live there.
Finding no response from the
administrative authorities, the enclave people started ‘hunger strike’ in front of SDO office. Although the District Magistrate of Cooch Behar, Kaushik Saha, had assured the aggrieved parties to help, yet the agitators were not
reconciled as they alleged that a reliable report quoted to have said that the funds allocated for building the Apartment House have been squandered by the authorities and so they were not in a position to build the promised
apartments.
Agitators say that as the said money was given by the Central Government, the State Government is all out to put the blame on the Central Government which is unacceptable to them. Because, according to them, the whole game is being played by the leader of the ruling party herself. But this time it would not be very easy as the situation has already gone out of the hands of the leader i.e. Mamata Banerjee. She has put herself in a tight corner with the Gorkhas to settle the score in her favour.
On the other hand, the enclave
people have threatened the Chief Minister that they would be bound to go back to their old homes situated in Bangladesh if they do not get proper residential
accommodation. n
