BSF officials seek shifting zero-line villages as HM Amit Shah calls for increased vigilance

Kolkata, Nov 30 (IANS) A day after Home Minister Amit Shah called for increased vigilance along the country's eastern border to prevent infiltration, a section of senior Border Security Force (BSF) officials said that unfenced portions of the border with Bangladesh and zero-line villages are a major hindrance in effective border management.

There has been lack of initiative on the part of the government of West Bengal in relocating zero-line villages, despite offers of compensation from the Centre.

"West Bengal has a lion's share of the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB). Of the total length of 4,096.7 km, West Bengal's share is 2,216.7 km. Of this, only about 81 per cent has been fenced. While it is difficult to fence the riverine portions of the border, the existence of zero-line villages is hindering fencing in most places. In West Bengal, there are nearly 360 zero-line villages with a population of over 70,000 people. Most of these villages are in the districts of Malda, Murshidabad and Cooch Behar," one of the officials said.

Under a 1975 agreement with Bangladesh, fencing is allowed 150 yards behind the zero-line (the actual border). While some smaller Indian villages were fenced off and left in the 150 yards patch, the fence could not run through larger settlements. These are the villages that have now turned into a major problem as adequate troops have to be deployed on the zero-line to prevent cross-border movement, particularly after dark.

"There can't be any permanent structures along the zero-line, as per the agreement, hence the BSF has to rely on patrolling. There is hardly any support from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) when it comes to the prevention of cross-border movement. As a result, infiltrators do manage to sneak into these villages, with the support of touts, and then move further inside the Indian hinterland," another official said.

A West Bengal government official in Malda said that several attempts have been made to relocate such villages, but there has been strong opposition from residents. The villagers have apparently said that they do not wish to vacate their ancestral property or leave behind fertile land, even after being offered adequate compensation.

"We realise that some of these villagers are involved in cross-border crimes and earn quite a lot through such activities. But, we can't evict people forcibly," the state government official said.

Another BSF official said that it is far easier to manage the riverine stretches of the IBB than the zero-line villages. Despite orders against doing so, the villagers intentionally plant tall crops and have dense banana plantations close to the zero-line to enable smuggling and the movement of infiltrators.

"This problem can't be solved unless the Central and state governments sit together and arrive at a decision to tackle the situation. With the goings-on in Bangladesh, infiltration is bound to increase. Strong measures need to be taken," he said.

--IANS

jayanta/pgh