Shillong, April 25: The Co-Ordination Committee on International Border (CCIB) today sent the memorandum to the external affair minister Salman Khursheed to opposed the land swap deal with Bangladesh which was sign in the 6th September 20011 in Dhaka.
In this memorandum the CCIB said that if the parliament of India rectified the swap deal Meghalaya will lost huge chang of land to Bangladesh and the demography of the state will change, the SP News Agency published the memorandum as bellow.
To,
Shri. Salman Khurshid Hon.ble Union Minister External affairs.
Govt.of India- New Delhi
Subject- Opposition against the Indo-Bangia Land Swap Deal -2011
Sir,.
In addressing to the Subject mention above, the Co-ordination Committee on International Border (CCIB) a conglomeration of NGOs, land owners and the local Traditional Heads of Meghalaya strongly opposed the Protocol Agreement over the land Swap Deal signed by both Hon, ble Prime Minister, India and its counterpart – Bangladesh on the last day of 6th Sept, 2011 in Dhaka, The said Deal is set to be tabled in the current budget Session Parliament.
The points of concerns and opposition raised by the CCIB are:
1- Till date the manner in which the Indo-Bangia boundary pillars was erected are very much in favor of Bangladesh whereas there is a huge loss of land from Meghalaya sector of India.
2- The present attempt at realignment and demarcation of the said boundary was done without proper consultation with the local populace and without proper consultation with the Border Committee Constituted by the Government of Meghalaya (CClB-F) 2008.Based on this, any decisions of the Joint boundary Working Group will not be accepted by all concern and before demarcation is carried out the Government must consider the proper:identification of Zero line on priority basis
3- Sir, as of now the adverse possession of land held by India in Meghalaya sector is 9 ( 559.70 acres) and APL held by Bangladesh is 2 ( 52.15 acres )50 Sir, if the Government. finalize the Border dispute ba~ed on the Protocol of Land Swap Deal 2011 Bangladesh will gain a huge quantity of land ,but the local indigenous people will be at a loss and this will have long term effects socially,economically,culturally and politically.
4- Above all the Swap deal also involve the swapping of the population of those areas ,the local indigenous people of Meghalaya will never accept this intention of the Government, because this will directly affect the demographic structure of the State.
5- Taken into consideration the unique land rights and land-holding system of the people of Meghalaya ‘as per. the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, any move to Swap land/po.pulation or any other issues concerning land the Government of India must decides the issue as per the spirit of the Constitutional provision of the Sixth Schedule and other laws dealing with tribal or minority rights.
Finally Sir, for the interest of the Border populace, integrity and security of Indian Territory, the Committee urges upon your Government that tabling of Land Swap Deal in the current budget session may keep on hold, till the fresh survey is conducted and proper verification of border alignment is corrected and the local populace are properly consulted.
Fully anticipating your positive response into the matter
Thanking you.
Yours sincerely Shri M F Ryngksai Chairman CCIB and Shri GH Kharshanlor as spoke person of the
