SHILLONG, APR 25: Ngos under the banner of the Co-ordination Committee on International Border (CCIB) demanded that the central government must on hold tabling of the ‘land swap deal’ in the current budget session of parliament and instead wanted that the government must undertake fresh survey of land along the borders with neighbouring Bangladesh.
The central government has proposed to table the land swap deal with Bangladesh following a protocol agreement over the Land Swap Deal that was signed by the Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh in Dhaka on September 6, 2011.
“We demand the government to keep on hold tabling of the proposed deal till the fresh survey is conducted and proper verification of border alignment is corrected and the local populaces are properly consulted,” the CCIB petition to the union minister of external affairs Salman Khurshid sent on Thursday said.
According to the CCIB, till date the manner in which the Indo-Bangla boundary pillars have erected favour Bangladesh whereas there is a huge loss of land from Meghalaya sector of India.
The CCIB further alleged that the present attempt at realignment and demarcation of the said boundary was done without proper consultation with the local population and the border committee constituted by the government of Meghalaya (CCIB-F) in 2008.
“Based on this, any decisions of the joint boundary working group will not be accepted before fresh demarcation is carried out, the government must consider proper identification of Zero line on priority basis,” CCIB spokesperson GH Kharshanlor said.
Stating that as of now the Adverse Possession of Land (APL) held by India in Meghalaya sector is 9 (559.70 acres) and APL held by Bangladesh is 2 (52.15 acres), Kharshanlor said, “If the government finalize the border dispute based on the protocol of land swap deal 2011, Bangladesh will gain a huge quantity of land but the local indigenous people will losing huge tracts and this will have long term effects socially, economically, culturally and politically.”
Kharshanlor also said that the swap deal will also involve swapping of the population of those areas the local indigenous people of Meghalaya will never accept the government intention because this will directly affect the demographic structure of the state.”
The CCIB said the union government must take into consideration the unique land rights and land holding system of the people of Meghalaya as enshrined in the sixth schedule of the Indian Constitution, and any move to swap land or any other issues concerning land it must be done in letter and spirit of this provision and other laws dealing with tribal or minority rights.
KSU general secretary Auguster Jyrwa said that since land belongs to the people, “The government should let the people look after their own land.” He said that land within Indian territory cannot be handed over to any country.- By Our Reporter
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