SILIGURI, June 15: Ethnic affinity of people living on both sides of the border, lack of border fencing in about 80 per cent of the total length of the international boundary, shortage of forces etc are encouraging infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals into India through the North Bengal Frontier. But on the positive side, efforts are on to bring in more troops of the Border Security Force (BSF) to check influx, while, the border fencing work in the area is also scheduled to be completed by the year 2005, which will definitely check illegal migration to a great extent.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, the officiating Inspector General of BSF, North Bengal Sector, Sri K C Sharma admitted that the border is still a porous one despite the efforts of the BSF to check influx and smuggling. He revealed that the total length of the international border under the jurisdiction of the North Bengal Frontier of the BSF is 1066 kilometres , which is divided into three sectors ? Kishanganj, Siliguri and Coochbehar. The authorised strength of the BSF in the area is 17 battalions but at present six battalions of this area are deployed in Kashmir, which resulted in shortage of force. Lack of border fencing in almost 80 per cent of the total length of the border is a major problem. Border fencing work in this sector started in the year 2000 and so far 216 kilometres of the border have been fenced and work is in progress to fence 100 kilometres. Erection of border fencing in the entire North Bengal Frontier is expected to be completed by the end of the year 2005. Learning from the experience in Assam, steps have been initiated to construct the border road and fencing at the same height. It may be mentioned here that in the Assam- Bangladesh border, the border fencing in most parts were damaged as the fencings were erected at a much lower height than the border roads.
The IG, BSF pointed out that ethnic affinity of people living on both sides of the border is a major problem for the forces as it is very difficult to differentiate an Indian citizen from a foreigner. Moreover, the people living in the bordering villages have relatives on either side and they would never divulge information about an immigrant. The Indian and Bangladeshi enclaves in each other?s territory is a major problem for the forces manning the border. He disclosed that there are 95 Bangladeshi enclaves in India and these are cut off from the mainland and depend entirely on India. The Teen Bigha corridor has been provided to the largest of the enclaves ? Dehgram-Angalpota enclave and it is not possible to provide such corridors to all the Bangla enclaves in India. Similarly, there are as many as 130 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh, covering an area of about 33 square kilometres.
Sri Sharma revealed that as 169 Indian villages in this sector are located just at the international border, those would remain outside the fencing, which would be a major problem in the days to come. ?We have already taken up the matter with the State Government for shifting of the small villages elsewhere to reduce the problem of the people of these villages and also of the forces manning the border. The State Government has conducted a survey and some of these villages are likely to be shifted,? he added. Karimganj district of Assam is facing a similar kind of problem as a number of villages of the district are located outside the fencing, as a result of which, the villagers remain cut off from their own country for 12 hours a day, from 6 pm to 6 am.
The North Bengal Frontier came into limelight when Bangladesh Rifles tried to push in 213 Bangladeshi nationals into India through Mathabhanga area on January 31 last. The BDR attempt came a few days after the Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani?s statement that all illegal migrants would be driven out from India. Commenting on the incident, Sri Sharma said that there was no doubt about the fact that those were Bangladeshi nationals. They were all snake charmers and they had their names in the voters? list of Bangladesh and the BSF also found electricity bills and other documents with them to prove that they were Bangladeshi nationals. The BDR apparently picked them up from different places and tried to push them into India. ?But the BDR was ultimately forced to take those people back as we stopped them right at the border and allowed them to speak to the media when they openly admitted that they were in fact Bangladeshi nationals. Later in our meetings with the BDR officials, we forcefully told them that they should not attempt such things in future and they have not tried anything since then,? he said.
Sri Sharma said that apprehensions by the BSF in the North Bengal Frontier has increased in the last few years and last year, up to the end of September, 1558 infiltrators and smugglers were apprehended. He said, at present, the BSF has 179 border outposts, each covering an area of six kilometres of the international border. He said that efforts are on to bring in more forces to reduce the jurisdiction of each outpost to 3.5 kilometres. The BSF also has 253 towers and work is in progress on construction of 150 sentry posts along the North Bengal Frontier. A proposal has also been mooted to put flood lights in the fencing to improve visibility.
Smuggling is another major problem the troops have to deal with. Sri Sharma disclosed that the items smuggled out of the country through the Frontier include cattle, sugar, salt, kerosene, medicines etc, while, the items commonly smuggled into India from Bangladesh include electronic items, synthetic yarn, and ? we have also found smuggling in of heroin from Bangladesh.?