While there is generally no border dispute between India and Bangladesh, there has been a problem of some villages or enclaves of one country being physically within the other. Apparently from the time of the Mughals when the concerned kings or zamindars did not surrender. This situation remained at the time of the English and also during Independence. Thereafter, gradually, these enclaves became part of one country or the other.
But we ended up having small incongruous parts of India being landlocked within East Pakistan/ Bangladesh and vice versa. The problem was compounded by having enclaves within enclaves eg. Indian villages surrounded by Bangladesh villages landlocked within main India. The issue festered with various complications despite multiple agreements, one issue being that the aggregate land area on both sides was not equal.
As a result the people living within the enclaves were effectively stateless, neglected and uncared for, with poor law and order; they could not get say a visa as that involved crossing the other country to reach the concerned consulate. There were approx. 53000 residents and an area of over 100 square kilometres.
The two countries formally exchanged 162 enclaves (111 in India and 51 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh) on August 1, 2015 with citizenship left to the choice of the individuals. One-time movement of persons took place but the border between the two countries is now tightened.
There are issues still in the subsequent development of these areas and peoples as India is a federal structure and the enclaves are mainly with West Bengal and some with the NE States. Resolving issues now devolves upon the concerned State Govt and their will to do so.
Incidentally, Vatican City is also an enclave, within Rome, Italy.
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6 comments:
From my friend MDC: I did not know about it. Reminds me of Berlin before 1990. There are similar small states /countries in Italy.
From my friend PC: I didnt know this. Thanks for the info.
Vatican City, though a country, is a current example of an enclave within another country - Italy.
From AM: 👌🏻👍👏🙏
I was not aware of the size of the problem. The border issues have troubled our country and its neighbours since very very long
What I found surprising is that such a significant number of persons effectively remained stateless for several decades after our Independence and also the creation of Bangladesh. Seems no one was at all concerned
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