Tin bigha issue
As part of our training in a tour 'Know Bangladesh' we reached Lalmonirhat, and thereafter Dahagram Angorpota, a small chitmohol (enclave) of Bangladesh in Indian territory. On the way to Dahagram-Angorpota, our guide again and again reminded us not to take snap on the narrow passage known as tin bigha corridor. It is called tin bigha corridor because the total passage measures tin bigha. On zero line we got down from the bus and walked on to the corridor, a narrow passage marked by white colour on both sides of the passage. The guide warns us not to overstep the white marking. 'why?' I asked. ' That's India' he replied. I found BSF personnel standing firmly, guns in hand, eyes fixed on the corridor to notice any walker crossing the white marking. I found a BSF personnel, big camera in hand cautiously taking video of us, another one beside him was manually counting the poor, silent, timid walker passing over there. Again two or more personnel having kingly moustache and wearing half pant and tea-shirt casually sitting on chairs putting one leg on another, chewing gum or anything else and casting merciful look on the passers-by before them. Beside us the BSF personnel raising gun were patrolling their border on high speed open jeep.
On the other side of the corridor we expected almost none, but beyond our imagination we found not less than two hundred people mostly women and children eagerly waiting for us for a long time. Don't think they were waiting for food relief, they were waiting for relief to breath freely in Bangladesh.
In my masters syllabus I read a one act play with the title “The Riders to The Sea” by JM Synge. In the story of the play the inhabitants of the island often lost their lives and properties in the sea in their efforts to reach the main land. The people of Dahagram also lose their lives in their effort to reach their main land. But the only difference is that the islanders would die of natural cause, here in Dahagram, the ill fated people succumb to the same fate for an artificial cause, otherwise known as unnatural or deliberated cause.
Around the border India erected strongly built sharp ended iron fence overhead and in regular intervals flood lights are there focusing towards the territory of Bangladesh. The people gathered there echoed in a voice that those floodlights multiplied their sufferings. After the day's hard toil they can't sleep at night because the heavy beams of light keeps them awake. They describe it as physical and mental torture. We inquired about the development programmes there and got a bleak picture about health, education, family planning and other civic facilities. The entire enclave has no electricity. The Deputy Commissioner of Lalmonirhat told that the authorities of India do not permit electric pole over their territory. The authorities of Bangladesh proposed fly-over to connect the people of two sides. The reply of India was 'no'. Why? You may ask. Yes, the answer is ready: it's 'safety'.
When will they put the issue of Dahagram-Angorpota on the table while talking to their Indian counterparts?
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