 .. ​​​ ​Humanity has come a long way and the maps of our world testatisfied to this progress. humanity has come a long way and maps of our world testify to this progress yet as late as the 21st century more than 54,000 people lived in a state of confusion unsure which country they belong to this was not a war zone a hostile border these were peaceful neighbors friends for nearly half a century Bangladesh and India yet between them lay the enclaves or chit mehals for the people who live in an enclave life can be complicated to whom do you turn in times of need what do you call yourself who are you this is a very unfortunate if he really says that i am from Bangladesh then he will also be a liar because he has no relationship with Bangladesh while these may have been exceptional events living in the enclaves on the India-Bangladesh border brought daily reminders in a time when every other urban Indian locality calls itself an enclave what exactly does the word mean international law defines an enclave as a country or a country or a country or a country or a country international law defines an enclave as a country or a part of a country that is wholly within the boundaries of another country access is only through that surrounding country an enclave can lie within an enclave what we call a second order enclave and in one unique case of a third order enclave there was an enclave within an enclave within an enclave how does it feel to be in the dark as your home is well lit even though all that separates you is a line on a map imagine such a situation persisting for decades basics being denied because you were on the wrong side of a border for some the border difficulties took a different form  interpreter  Short hai afternoon jainip readers,  an interpreter we saw in the fourth story.  Hadn't seen the family of a rat. He said I was hurt.  grimmed out and tried to kill.  involving a rat in every event.   분들이 Gramenis wsana mas yad أن đ Margonsu స౿బాన్న్ స౻రాక్ వాన్చువదుల్న్దు. అన్టెపహెపె ఎస్త్రున నిత్ర్గిిటాన్ర్కిబ్ర్న్ర్ను ఆ. మాన్నందిస్బ న్రటర్త్ర్నుపె.  apocalypse  jongl into the welts in Inglas.  increases memory jeashta go perw naran to focuses memory to along with their dreams some of the  overt supposed to eyelidve  part of the %     10 A popular legend puts the blame on chess. Two kings battling on the chess board, wagering pockets of land, with no thought to the consequences. It's a great story, but in fact, the enclaves were created by a series of 18th century peace treaties between the Mughal Empire and the Kingdom of Kuch Pihar. Sometimes, history is shaped by changes in context. The enclaves of eastern India had existed peacefully if absurdly for centuries. Now, they found themselves caught up in cataclysmic change. When the lines of partition were drawn, one ran right through this mess. Some enclaves became Indian, some Pakistani. Suddenly, everything was transformed. Now, it's like this. There's no way out, there's no way out. There's no way out. There's no way out. There's no way out. There's no way out. There's no way out. As you can expect, this created peculiar situations. Farmers had to cross a border checkpoint to work in their fields again to get home. School children, instead of enjoying a care-free walk, had to negotiate a border crossing twice a day. Although the affected people may have felt forgotten, the problems stayed on the table. Successive governments worked to untangle the muddle. First, the governments of India and Pakistan. Then, in 1971, another upheaval created Bangladesh. For millions, it was a time of celebration. For the enclaves, the close ties between India and Bangladesh renewed hopes of settlement. Yet, resolution proved elusive. Territory, after all, is in a motive issue. So, the problem persisted well into a new century. This agreement has been pending since 1974 when it was signed between the then PM, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and PM Indira Gandhi. But three elements of that agreement could not be implemented relating to demarcation of the boundary, adverse positions and enclaves because of interpretations of the agreement. One thing, however, had changed. This was a new generation, raised in the age of information. Young people in the enclaves were more aware, more insistent that every problem could be solved. Responding to the mood, the government moved to pursue matters more vigorously with Bangladesh. In Bhangaladesh, the committee was held by the government. We started the agreement with the government. We were also involved in the agreement. We were not involved. We were involved in the agreement with the government. Actually, when I was pregnant, it was very difficult for me to go to the hospital in Bangladesh or to the hospital in India. Many mothers were killed. In 2010, a child was born in the enclaves of Madhya Mashal Danga. Earlier, children had been born under false addresses, false names. But for this child, Asma was firm. Along with little jihad's baby steps, there was visible progress in the negotiations. Another symbol of this awakening was Maimona Khatun, who lost her voting rights when she married a Bangladeshi enclave resident. Maimona fought back when she was born in Bangladesh. Maimona fought back when she was born in Bangladesh. Maimona fought back, had her rights restored and even contested elections in 2011. She lost by a huge margin but made her point about the rights of enclave dwellers. We interacted with the people. Then only I got to understand that actually what is the complexity of, you know, enclave formation and how the life is being affected because of the enclave. After that only we realized that there are some issues solved at the international level. There was a change in Delhi and Dhaka too. A new generation of bureaucrats and politicians was resolute about resolving this long-standing tangle. Progress stagnant for decades was now flowing again. In the enclaves, doubts persisted. Paks had come and gone before in 1958, 1974, 1986 and 1992. Would things be different this time? The biggest challenge that we faced in the time from 2014 till 2015 was building awareness of what the protocol and agreement actually meant. Securing the free and full consent of all the state governments that were involved which were directly impacted by this and then for the external affairs minister to actually pilot this bill through parliament. Now all that was needed was the will to accept uneven transfer of land. In 2015, with a new government in Delhi that bold final step was in place. On the 7th of May, 2015 India's parliament ratified the draft treaty originally framed in 1974. In India's parliament, there was not a single objecting vote. Not just the government of the day, but all of India but humanity ahead of territory. South Asia had shown the world how to negotiate the complex maze of border disputes with magnanimity and grace. India had held fast to its policy of neighborhood first. We are South Asian countries who create land on our own, according to the constitution. Found the jubilation, there was much to be done. Seventy years ago, the redrawing of a map had led to the sorrow and bloodshed of partition. This time with enlightened అయిమాట౔ శింటక నితూసం ఇధిjuna డలుిసంటారీంరూ. నంటూజ�icking 大〜老 నంటూజ్చది Пр blond నినంత్ట఼ట్లి నిసంటూటదкої ఍ధెటరిమాకừ�ోలె. Which country would each enclave dweller qualify for? Who would opt to go where? Obviously, when you have a change in the alignment of the boundary, the maps have to change. And both sides have to agree that this is the interpretation of the provision of the agreement or the protocol when it is translated into paper, this is how it will look like. We signed this document in June 2015 and we promised each other that we would complete it by June 2016. So we had literally 12 months within which to complete this. Officials in both countries spread out through the enclaves to take head counts and conduct surveys. The Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner's visit symbolized the transition. Once he and the villagers had been compatriots in Bangladesh. Now the enclave was part of India and the officer and honoured guest yet a close friend. We had been able to complete this by June 2016. We had been able to complete this by June 2016. We had been able to complete this by June 2016. We had been able to complete this by June 2016. Borders may have shifted, but the bonds shaped by millennia of shared history would endure. After the details were announced, many found themselves in a different country. Some opted to leave their homes in order to remain in India. Most though stayed where they were, the land of their ancestors. After the preparations, the lists, the notifications, the day arrived for those who had decided to move to India. They carried what they could, but most precious were the hopes they bore for a new future. At last, they were free from the uncertainty that had shadowed their lives for generations. We have a process by which we are able to complete this by June 2016. By which we develop any place, we have provided them the rights which they deserve. They are going to get some permanent accommodation. They will get a flag for which we have already made our plan. We are going to purchase land, build a house and give it to them. Secondly, is to provide them, putting them into the system of what we are following, whether it is a social system or any other administrative mechanism. Now, since they have already got integrated with the part of India, now they are eligible for any other scheme which is applicable to any other citizen of this country. Naturally, that flood gate has been opened. Starting life afresh is never easy. For those who had chosen to leave their homes and join their fortunes to India, there were basics to be taken care of. Shilta first, camps were built to provide dignified housing for the period of transition. The government of India extended financial support to enable the West Bengal government to meet these requirements. There was regular and effective coordination between the state and union governments as these matters were addressed. Besides Shilta, the families needed to be fed till they could find their own footing. All these new Indian citizens were provided cooked meals for one month. Then, they naturally wanted their own familiar food and individual kitchens started up their files. One step closer to normalcy. Next comes land, a lifeline for farmers. The government is in the process of identifying and acquiring land which will then be transferred to our new compatriots. There is also the matter of livelihoods. Interestingly, many of the migrants are not exactly waiting for a permanent address. Monika Murmu has set up a grocery store for residents basic needs. Krishna Sarkar has invested in an electric rickshaw and provides transportation services. These are just two examples of entrepreneurship in the camps. There is a small business in our shop. The business is very good. It is very good. As the former enclaves emerged from the shadows into light, the children may not have noticed the change. Yet, they will grow up with a sense of freedom, with opportunities that their parents could never have had. A stateless person who is not recognized by anybody has got a recognition. Now, he says that my motherland is this country. He says that I belong to this country. Now, imagine a house located in an enclave. That house doesn't have any address. We provided them the pin code number for the first time. With this recognizable symbol of permanence, the national identity of Potur Kuthi was complete. Now, I want to say hello. Hello. When I came to the city, I came to see the city from 11 to 12. I came to the city, I came to the city, I came to the city, I came to see the city, I came to see the city, this is why everyone has come to Potokkhayit. Land boundary agreement is not the achievement of any one department of ministry. It is the achievement of a nation as a whole. There are two steps to it. One is actually negotiating the agreement and signing the protocol. The second is actually putting this through a parliamentary process, of consultation, trying to bring about the consensus and finally, the Land Boundary Act approved unanimously in Parliament. And I think ME had the good fortune to coordinate and lead that team effort, but it was certainly something that everybody was involved with. Life was changing in other ways too. Something that most of us take for granted is access to the local administration. But Entlev residents saw little of that till the accord came into force. The new citizens now have free access to the many welfare programs of the Indian state. For young children, Anganwadi centres provide support with healthcare, supplementary nutrition and preschool education. Work in rural areas is often hard to come by. The former Entlev dwellers are now entitled to the benefits of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Probably the world's most ambitious economic security and public works program. Many other projects were initiated. Women were assisted to set up self-help groups. The traditional skill of Sheetal Party received a boost. As these initiatives were gathering momentum, came the announcement for elections in the state of West Bengal. Several programs were halted to conform to India's tough electoral code of conduct. Surely the people were disappointed. On the contrary, they were related because they finally got a chance to participate in the most sacred ritual of democracy. Voting day was something that they had only dreamt of. And happiest of all was 103-year-old Asgar Ali. Despite the enormous efforts, there are still problems that remain. Some families have been separated by the new borders. Parents like Sapna Rani are willing to endure the difficulties because her children now have unprecedented opportunities. They are not afraid of their children. They are not afraid of their children. They are not afraid of their children. They are not afraid of their children. Parents like Sapna Rani are willing to endure the difficulties because her children now have unprecedented opportunities for education, for progress. Of the nearly 1000 enslaved dwellers who had formally decided to move to India, several did not show up for the transition. Going the extra mile, the Indian government conducted an additional round of opinions and learnt that emotional bonds are hard to break. Our children can never wished to die. Our children cannot bear the torture of living in India. Our mothers are not safe. Our children are not All are now proud citizens of Bangladesh, a choice that we respect. After all, they symbolise that this is in a code of equals. Two nations maturely dropping their differences and working together for the benefit of the people. Some of the people we could not contact, well, there are what abouts is also not known, so we have to live here at that. In the former enclaves, life is fast returning to normal. The old ways go on finding equilibrium with the new. Yet, in ways that outsiders can never understand, everything is changed. History becomes lines on a map, but only when time or distance has raised the joys and sorrows of the human condition. While in the making, history is the story of people, of individuals dreaming magnificent dreams and waiting patiently for borders to dissolve, for humanity to triumph. There is not much. There is not much. There is not much. There is not much. Allah is great.