Title: India–Bangladesh Border Management: A Review of Government's Response
Abstract: Abstract Abstract The India–Bangladesh border has been described as the 'problem area of tomorrow'. The problems include illegal migration, smuggling, and trans-border movement of insurgents, which are serious threats to the security of the country. India shares its longest border with Bangladesh, but this border is not attentively managed. This article analyses the problems arising along this border and reviews the recommendations of a report by the Group of Ministers on Border Management and the measures undertaken by the government to tackle the problems. This article also suggests additional measures and implores the Indian Government to adopt a pragmatic and people-sensitive approach to improve border management. Acknowledgments The author thanks the director general (BSF) for providing logistical support for the field visit to the India–Bangladesh border. She also thanks the Editorial Board and the anonymous referees for their valuable comments and suggestions that enormously helped in improving the article. Notes 1 The Government of India constituted a four-member committee on July 29, 1999, to look into the events leading to the war with Pakistan and recommend measures necessary to safeguard the security of the nation. The committee presented its report in the parliament on February 23, 2000. 2 The GoM was headed by Shri L.K. Advani, and it also included the Defence Minister, External Affairs Minister, and Finance Minister. The Group of Ministers' submitted its report to the prime minister on February 21, 2001. Task Force to Consider Measures for Improving Border Management, No. C-182/1/2000-NSCS(CS), Cabinet Secretariat (National Security Council Secretariat), May 16, 2000, at http://mod.nic.in/newadditions/annexe.pdf (Accessed May 7, 2007). 3 'Task Force to Consider Measures for Improving Border Management', No. C-182/1/2000-NSCS(CS), Cabinet Secretariat, (National Security Council Secretariat), May 16, 2000, available at http://mod.nic.in/newadditions/annexe.pdf (Accessed May 7, 2007). 4 Annual Report 2006–2007, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi, 2007, p. 36. 5 E.N. Rammohan, 'Porous Borders, Perfidious Neighbours-Security Threat from Bangladesh', Insurgent Frontiers: Essays from Troubled Northeast, India Research Press, New Delhi, 2005, pp. 92–93. 6 'Il-Conceived Intrusion Led to BSF Men's Deaths', The Times of India, April 25, 2001, New Delhi. Also author's interview with BSF personnel in Guwahati and Udaipur on February 24–March 2, 2007. 7 Question in the Rajya Sabha, 'Territorial Demarcation Between India and Bangladesh', New Delhi, March 14, 2002, in Avtar Singh Bhasin, India-Bangladesh Relations, Documents-1972-2002, Geetika Publishers, New Delhi, 2003, p. 2198, also see Foreign Secretary Level Consultations, joint press statement, June 20–23, 2005, at http://www.bhcdelhi.org/detail.htm (Accessed May 1, 2007). 8 Note verbale No. IND (enclave)-1/13/92 (Part) dated October 15, 2000 in no. 3, p. 2100. 9 Lt. General (Retd) S.K. Sinha, Report on Illegal Migration to Assam (submitted to President of India), November 8, 1998, p. 5. 10 The Task Force on Border Management puts the figure at 15 million, with 300,000 Bangladeshis entering India illegally every month. In 2004, the central government claimed that as on 2001, an estimated 12 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants are staying in the country, including 5 million in Assam and 5.7 million in West Bengal. 11 In Assam, the proportion of Muslims in the total population raised from 28.43 in 1991 to 30.91 per cent in 2001. Between 1971 and 1991, the Muslim population in Assam grew by an estimated 77.42 per cent. According to the 2001 census, six districts in Assam have a Muslim majority population. Similarly, census figures reveal that West Bengal's Muslim population has increased from 23.61 per cent in 1991 to 25.24 per cent in 2001. 12 Author's interview with a senior BSF personnel and two surrendered NLFT militants in Tripura on March 3, 2007. 13 'Madarsas Along Bangla Border Have Increased: BSF', The Hindu, New Delhi, May 4, 2007. 14 Habib Haroon, 'A Deadly Cargo', Frontline, 21(10), May 8–21, 2004, at http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2110/stories/20040521000206100.htm (Accessed May 4, 2007). 15 Author's interview with a senior BSF official during the field visit at Kolkata, February 26, 2007, also see, 'Arms Smuggling Across Bangladeshi Border Become Rampant', People's Daily, at http://english.people.com.cn/english/200107/02/eng20010702_73967.html (Accessed May 4, 2007). 16 Bimal Pramanik, 'Cattle Smuggling Across the Indo–Bangladesh Border – An Analysis', Dialogue, 6(1), July–September 2004, at http://www.asthabharati.org/Dia_July04/Bimal.htm (Accessed April 12, 2007). 17 Author's interview with a senior BSF official at New Delhi, on October 13, 2006, also author's discussions with the BSF officials during the field visit to the India–Bangladesh border, February 22–March 5, 2007. 18 'Border Management', Report of the Group of Ministers on National Security, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi, 2001, p. 58. 19 See n. 18, pp. 61–62. 20 Author's interview with senior BSF officials during the field visit to the India–Bangladesh border, February 21–March 5, 2007. 21 See n. 18, p. 76. 22 See n. 3, p. 146. 23 Author's interview with Commandant, 68 Bn BSF, February 23, 2007 at Dhubri, Assam. The Chief Minister of Assam also admitted that delay in land acquisition is a major factor for the delay in the construction of fences in the state. See, 'Land Acquisition Delaying Border Fencing: CM', The Assam Tribune, April 26, 2007. 24 The Committee is led by Deputy Chief Minister of the State Donkupar Roy and Chairman of CCBF. See, 'CCBF Conducts on the Survey of Indo–Bangla Border', The Assam Tribune, Guwahati, December 22, 2006. 25 In Tripura nearly 35,000 persons have been forced to vacate their land because of the construction of barbed wire. See, 'Displaced Persons Along the Bangla Border to Move Patil', The Assam Tribune, Guwahati, October 10, 2007. Also interview with local resident of Motinagar village under Raimura BOP in Tripura, March 5, 2007. 26 'BDR Objects to fence range', The Telegraph, Shillong, March 14, 2008. 27 Clause 8(e) of the 1975 Joint India–Bangladesh Border Guidelines states that 'if defensive works of any nature, including trenches, exist in the stretch of 300 yards (150 yards on each side of the boundary) these must be immediately filled up'. 28 'Indo–Bangladesh Relations', Ministry of External Affairs, Press Information Bureau, August 3, 2005, at http://pib.nic.in/release/rel_print_page1.asp?relid=10809 (Accessed April 17, 2007). 29 Border area in Krishnanagar, especially in and around BOP Gede, Februray 28, 2007. 30 Author's interview with Deputy Inspector Generals and Field Commanders at Guwahati, Udaipur, and Kolkata sectors during the field visit from February 21 to March 5, 2007. 31 See n. 3, p. 37. 32 Ibid. 33 Ibid., p. 39. 34 Madhav Godbole, 'Illegal Migration from Bangladesh', Dialogue, 7(3), January–March 2006, at http://www.asthabharati.org/Dia_Jan06/Godbo.htm (Accessed April 12, 2006). 35 See n. 18, p. 85. 36 124th Report of the Standing Committee Home Affairs, presented to the Rajya Sabha on March 20, 2007, at http://rajyasabha.nic.in/book2/reports/home_aff/124threport.htm (Accessed April 17, 2007). 37 See n. 18, p. 42. 38 Ibid. 39 'Citizenship Issue Boils in Assam After SC Verdict', The Assam Tribune, Guwahati, December 6, 2006. 40 Border Area Development Programme', available at http://www.mha.nic.in/BM_Div/BM_Dev(E).pdf (Retrieved on April 17, 2007). 41 Observations made during the field trip along the India–Bangladesh border from February 21 to March 5, 2007. 42 See n. 3, p. 40. 43 109th Report of Committee on Home Affairs, presented to Rajya Sabha on August 23, 2004, at http://rajyasabha.nic.in/book2/reports/home_aff/109threport.htm (Accessed April 17, 2007). 44 See n. 18, p. 93. 45 'Bangladesh to Act Tough Against Indian Outfits', The Assam Tribune, Guwahati, April 27, 2007. 46 Author's Interview with a senior BSF personnel in New Delhi and Agartala, in March 2007.
Publication Year: 2008
Publication Date: 2008-05-16
Language: en
Type: review
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 19
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