Readers’ Forum

The joy of freedom

The decision of the departure of the British Raj giving the sub-continent sovereign status – as India and Pakistan – made many overjoyous. But unfortunately, in drawing the border lines or mapping the new countries, the British also created many man-made sufferings to the people of the enclaves on both sides. The dwellers of those enclaves on both sides experienced long suffering for the last 68 years.
In 1947 post partition Bangladesh also faced the problems of enclave dwellers. The people of the enclaves could not get the full satisfaction of the independence a citizen of as sovereign state. They had to struggle to obtain citizenship of their country while they used to live physically in areas located in the other country. They were deprived of citizenship, education and other civic facilities.
Illiteracy, poverty gripped them. However, such cursed life of the enclave dwellers has come to an end on the midnight 12 am of 1 August, 2015. On that day, 111 enclaves of India were turned into the lands of Bangladesh and 51 enclaves of Bangladesh were turned into the lands of India, according to the Land Boundary Agreement between the governments of Bangladesh and India. The people of the enclaves observed the boundless pride of real independence on that day in joys and merriment through firing the fireworks, holding milad mahfils, organizing sports and other cultural activities.
The BGP government, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, deserves thanks because this time they went even the extra-length to ratify the LBA Bill in both the Houses of the Indian Parliament which Bangladesh did in 1974 immediately after signing of the LBA by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and PM Indira Gandhi in 1974. The Indian bureaucracy should bear all responsibilities for this inordinate delay.
Now, the governments of both the countries should lay extra-emphasis for quicker development of the enclaves and also in providing all basic civil services to the people, better say now citizens, on regular basis. It proved the adage — better late than never.
Md. Yamin Khan
Shyamoli,Dhaka.