Assam parties oppose exchange of border land

Opposition parties in Assam,including the Asom Gana Parishad and BJP,have opposed New Delhis move to hand over certain plots of land along the Indo-Bangladesh border.

Opposition parties in Assam,including the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and BJP,have opposed New Delhis move to hand over certain plots of land along the Indo-Bangladesh border to the neighbouring country even at the cost of exchange of other adversely possessed land by the other side.

The two countries are signing,among several other documents,an agreement to exchange most of the adversely possessed areas along the international boundary. There are as many as 25 points along the 4,156-km boundary,of which India adversely possesses 1,165.49 acres of Bangladesh land,while Bangladesh possesses 1,880.81 acres on the Indian side.

We vehemently oppose any move by the government of India to give up land inside our boundary to Bangladesh. When Assam has been facing a silent demographic invasion from Bangladesh,we should not part with even an inch of our land, said AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowari. The regional party on Tuesday staged a dharna outside Raj Bhavan here demanding an end to any such move.

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The All Assam Students Union (AASU),AJYCP and the state unit of the BJP too have opposed the move. It is equal to compromising Indias sovereignty, said state BJP general secretary Prodyut Bora.

While the issue has been causing a stir in Assam,the government on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that Bangladesh was in adverse possession of 665 acres of land in the Assam sector. This includes about 160 acres in Dhubri district and two plots of 360 acres and 145 acres in Karimganj district.

Interestingly,Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said India,and for that matter Assam,would only gain through the proposed exchange of adversely possessed plots. It is however up to the government of India to settle those long-pending disputes. But,as far as my knowledge goes,we are only going to gain (from the exchange), Gogoi has said.

Sources in the Assam government said while about 160 acres in Boroibari in Dhubri district is likely to be given to Bangladesh,the other country has to give up its claims over about 360 acres in Palakhal in Karimganj district except for about 69 acres. Another area of about 75 acres in Latitila-Dumabari,also in Karimganj district,is likely to be conceded,provided Bangladesh agrees to give up claim over the 360 acres in Palakhal.