Human rights activist Kirity Roy has written to West Bengal Chief Minister urging the newly formed state cabinet to reconsider and humanely implement its decision to expedite land allocation to the Border Security Force (BSF) for fencing along the India-Bangladesh border. In a letter dated May 12, Roy appealed to the government to ensure that land between the border fence and the international boundary is legally acquired and that the rights and livelihoods of border residents are protected.
Roy noted that the India-Bangladesh border stretches over 4,000 kilometres, of which more than 2,000 kilometres fall within West Bengal. He said that residents of border districts are as much citizens of the state as those living in Kolkata and pointed out that many border residents voted for the BJP in the hope that their longstanding grievances would finally receive attention after allegedly being neglected for decades by previous governments.
The activist argued that the India-Bangladesh border was not created through a simple territorial division, but through a complicated demarcation process that left numerous irregularities. He explained that under bilateral agreements no permanent construction can be made directly on the international boundary line marked by International Border Pillars (IBPs). As a result, border fencing has been erected inside Indian territory, often several hundred yards or even kilometres away from the actual border.
According to Roy, most of the land where fencing has been installed belongs to local farmers. He said cultivators willingly cooperate in the interest of national security, but once fencing is erected, they lose practical access to fertile agricultural land lying between the fence and the border. He alleged that many landowners have been reduced to becoming migrant labourers despite owning productive land. He demanded that all land between the fencing and the border should be legally acquired by the government and farmers adequately compensated.
The letter also highlighted the plight of thousands of families living between BSF outposts and the border fencing in districts such as Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, North 24 Parganas, Malda and Dakshin Dinajpur. Roy said lakhs of Indian citizens continue to live beyond the fencing in isolated conditions and called on the new government to address their concerns instead of repeating what he described as the failures of earlier administrations.
Roy further referred to the Border Area Development Programme (BADP), under which substantial funds are allocated annually for border region development. He alleged that these funds were often misused in the past and suggested that the current government utilise BADP allocations to legally acquire farmers’ land and provide security for both national interests and the livelihoods of border communities.
Roy signed the letter in his capacity as Secretary of the Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) and National Convenor of the Programme Against Custodial Torture and Impunity (PACTI).
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