Modi wants LBA or Teesta deal with BD by Dec 16

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to finalize any of the Land Boundary Agreement or Teesta River’s Water Sharing Agreement with Dhaka by December 16-the Victory Day of Bangladesh.The process to create consensus within the ruling Bharatia Janata Party (BJP) for signing Land Boundary Agreement and Teesta River’s Water Sharing Agreement with Bangladesh has already started. Influential Indian Bangla daily Anandabazar Patrika said this on Wednesday in a report quoting competent official sources in Delhi.”Both the issues-Land Boundary and Teesta River-were discussed with due importance at the BJP National Council meeting in Delhi recently with a view to reaching a consensus within the party,” Anandabazar said quoting high ranking political sources of BJP.Senior BJP leader and Indian Internal Affairs Minister Rajnath Singh has discussed different aspects of the Land Boundary Agreement, including the exchanges of enclaves, with state-BJP leaders of West Bengal and Assam recently.”Rajnath Singh told (the West Bengal and Assam BJP) leaders that the Indian central government is pledged bound to sign these agreements. Every government has some international compulsions like that of these two issues-Land Boundary Agreement and Teesta River issue,” the Indian newspaper said, adding that the BJP West Bengal and Assam state committees were opposing implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement and signing of the Teesta River’s Water Sharing Accord.It may noted here that the then Bangladesh Prime Minister Bangabandhu Shiekh Mujibur Rahman and Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi signed Bangladesh-India Land Boundary Agreement in 1974. Thus the agreement is also known as “Mujib-Indira Accord.”But some political parties of West Bengal and Assam, including state committees of BJP and Trinamul Congress-led by Momata Banarjee continued to oppose the two issues.The Teesta River’s Water Sharing Accord was scheduled to be signed by the two friendly countries during the Dhaka visit of then Indian Prime Minister Dr Monmohan Singh in 2011. But it could not be signed due to opposition of Momta Banarjee and BJP.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assigned his Internal Affairs Minister Rajnath Singh to convince state leaders of BJP of West Bengal and Assam. “Rajnath Singh has summoned leaders of West Bengal and Assam states BJP on August 16 to Delhi to discuss both the issues,” the Anandabazar wrote. Leaders of the BJP units of West Bengal and Assam opposed the Land Boundary Agreement saying, India has 111 enclaves within Bangladesh while Dhaka has 51 enclaves inside India. But India will have concede more land areas to Bangladesh if the Agreement were implemented.But now BJP is ruling party and BJP came to power with massive majority. Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was sent by Narendra Modi to Dhaka immediately after his taking over power. Susma Swaraj during her meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that the Indian central government needed sometimes to have a consensus within and outside BJP, with major Indian political parties to sign the two agreements.Anandabazar said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi want to visit each other’s country this year. Dhaka wants both the Agreement signed this year. The high level visit would not be successful if the consensus inside were not reached, the Indian newspaper said quoting Indian External Affairs Ministry officials. “But Indian external Affairs Ministry officials opined that the Indian Constitution should have to be amended before implementing Land Boundary Agreement, which will see changes in Indian geographical areas,” the paper said, adding, “So consensus within the BJP is crucial. Because amendment to the Constitution will need two-thirds majority.”Anandabazar Patrika observed two positive things in favour of Bangladesh-1) absolute majority of BJP in both houses of Indian Parliament and 2) Congress Sonia Gandhi will not oppose the issue since her party’s government tried to pass the Constitutional amendment.