Rally in Cooch Behar demanding exchange of chhitmahals

 

COOCH BEHAR, April 29: Deprived residents of different chhitmahals (enclaves) took out a procession in Cooch Behar town today. They demanded exchange of chhitmahals between India and Bangladesh and basic amenities for the residents. They also submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate.

 

A few hundred people from different chhitmahals assembled in the town today and went to the district magistrate to submit a memorandum containing their demands. General secretary of Bharat-Bangladesh Enclaves Exchange Co-ordination Committee, Mr Dipak Sengupta said the enclaves of the two neighbouring countries should be exchanged by implementing the Indira-Mujib treaty.

 

Mr Sengupta, an ex-MLA, alleged that the residents of the enclaves of both the countries have no valid citizenship. They are deprived of all humane amenities including education and health service. They were never covered in any census and never got the opportunity to vote. In a whole their life in the chhitmahals is unbearable and inhumane. They have no right to enter into the mainland of the country concerned, he added. At the time of handover of Tinbigha corridor to Bangladesh it was assured that enclaves of both countries will be exchanged to draw an end to the plight of the residents concerned but that is yet to be implemented, he added.

 

Mentionworthy, chhitmahal of a country is a strip of land situated in other country. It is difficult for a resident of a chhitmahal to come to the mainland of the country concerned because it surrounded by lands of other country. There are 126 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh territory and 93 Bangladeshi enclaves in Indian territory. It was decided in high-level meetings that 111 Indian enclaves and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves are exchangeable.

 

A researcher on chhitmahals of the region, Mr Debabrata Chaki demanded that the Indian government should ensure the interests of the residents of Indian enclaves during exchange of the enclaves between the two countries.

 

Today, among the people who came to participate in the rally claimed themselves as Bangladeshis during talks with media persons. When asked about it, the district magistrate of Cooch Behar, Mr Rajesh Kumar Sinha denied making any comment over it. He said the enclave residents submitted a memorandum to him demanding basic amenities including power supply. "I shall convey their demands to the government", he added. []