Back in 1947 when India gained independence it was a moment of rejoice and there was a new fragrance of freedom which every Indian could feel in the air. But Independence also brought something which no one had thought of. Partition of the great ancient land in two different countries based on the religion. The excitement of freedom and complexity of the politics was so much that some issues like border and water sharing could never be resolved.

Photo by eutrophication&hypoxia

 In 1971, people in East Pakistan started a revolution against the dominance of West Pakistan in the region. With the intervention of India, East Pakistan or Bengal experienced yet another independence and became Bangladesh. Since then the attitude of the people there to wards India had changed and situations became smooth to start a dialogue for the settlement of the border dispute and water sharing.

On September 6th, 2011, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his official visit to Bangladesh signed a land boundary agreement which involves swapping of land. While the treaty was necesaary to improve the relations between the two countries, mixed reactions have been coming up from the Indian side over this agreement.

In Support of the Agreement (Positive Reactions)

Sources are saying that in the land border treaty India has got double of what Bangladesh has got in Assam. Available details from the agreement shows that India got 714 acres of the land from Bangladesh whereas Bangladesh got 357 acres from India. It is also being said that the agreement was made considering the views of the all four north eastern states bordering Bangladesh. 

The Indian Newspaper DNA quotes the sources as saying that India gave Bangladesh only the land which was already under their possession since independence but was claimed by India and required settlement. Saying all states bordering with Bangladesh are happy with the agreement, sources said that agreement has been balanced in terms of land area exchanged.

Criticizing the Agreement (Negative Reactions)

India's main opposition party BJP has accused the government of keeping the details of the agreement as private.  

"There had been no discussion with us on giving land from Assam to Bangladesh. So, if they [government] say that BJP was taken on board, they are wrong... We don't know what they have done," Sushma Swaraj said, adding 600 acres of land in Assam had reportedly been given away to the neighbouring country.

According to BJP views and point of the north eastern states were not kept in the mind while making the agreement and claims that there is huge resentment among the people of Assam after Singh's visit to Dhaka.

Pointing towards Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of the state of West Bengal, India,  BJP said this was a "glaring example" of how differences within UPA have affected India's foreign policy. Mamata Banerjee opposed the treaty on the sharing of Teesta river water, but still the government continued with its plan.

BJP in its press release says that 10 agreements were signed between India and the Bangladesh including the Land Swap Agreement. Under this agreement BJP has demanded 3 things which government has to tell the nation.

1. Did the Assam Cabinet discuss the details of the handover of Assam's land to Bangladesh?

2. When were the MPs and MLAs informed of this agreement?

3. What and When were the people of the concerned villages informed?

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