India & Bangladesh

A parliamentary standing committee on external affairs has ratified the land boundary agreement (LBA) with Bangladesh, paving way for New Delhi and Dhaka to conclude their biggest pact so far.
The BJP , which as the main opposition stoutly opposed the bill during the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, has changed its stand on the agreement. On Sunday , PM Narendra Modi declared in Assam that his government would ratify the LBA because it would help curb illegal migration. The government is now expected to bring a bill to amend the Constitution to make the necessary changes on India's official boundaries with Bangladesh. The Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill, 2013 is aimed at ratifying the LBA under the Indira-Mujib pact of 1974 to exchange areas and people on either side of the border.
Shashi Tharoor, who heads the committee, said the decision was unanimous.Sounding confident that the bill would sail through Parliament, he said, “It's important to understand that we are not losing any territory , because we don't actually have access to the enclaves inside Bangladesh. We are merely regularizing the reality on the ground.“
In its report presented to Lok Sabha, the panel said coming into force of the pact may result in a “modest“ demographic change in bordering areas. It observed that the security dimension due to influx of population should be considered seriously by the government. “Not only would some Indian citizens return to the mainland from previously held enclaves but a number of currently Bangladeshi nationals would also be given Indian citizenship after the area is ceded to India,“ it said.
The passage of the amendment will give India an unprecedented advantage of a secure boundary and be able to curb illegal migration, smuggling and other criminal activities. India's map will be redrawn as it will get 2,777 acres of land and transfer 2,267 acres to Bangladesh.
Officials said, “The exchange is notional. The exchange of enclaves will legalize a situation which already exists. The exchange of adverse possessions confirms that each country will legally possess the territories it's already holding.“