Border survey prevents Indian villages from being enclosed in B’desh

Jalpaiguri: In a relief to residents along the India-Bangladesh border in South Berubari, a joint survey by the Border Security Force (BSF) and the District Land & Land Reforms office has prevented residential areas from being enclosed on the Bangladesh side of a planned border fence and road. The survey was initiated following local protests and intervention from district officials, securing homes, schools, temples and Anganwadi centres on the Indian side.

Villagers feared that, 77 years after India’s Independence, they might see their homes fenced into Bangladesh. To address this, the district administration began surveying the 16-kilometre border area, covering villages like Barashashi, Chilahati, Naitari Debottar, Nawatari Nawabganj and Kajal Dighi.

These villages, originally part of India’s Jalpaiguri district, fell under what is now Bangladesh’s Boda Police Station after Independence. When India and Bangladesh exchanged enclaves in 2015, these areas were legally recognised as part of India. However, land records still list these properties under Boda Thana and villagers lack formal ownership documents in India.

Tension heightened before Durga Puja, when rumours spread that these villages might be fenced into Bangladesh. In response, district officials coordinated with the BSF, who jointly began marking international border pillars while ensuring key properties remained on Indian soil.

District Magistrate Shama Parveen commented: “The joint survey has been conducted with the commitment to keep homes and essential public facilities within the Indian border. The survey in Barashashi and Berubari Mauza has marked houses, schools, temples and Anganwadi centres to remain on Indian soil. Concrete border pillars have been temporarily set at the Zero Point of both nations. During the final phase, permanent triangular concrete pillars will replace them when fences and roads are constructed.”

Villagers expressed both relief and hope. “We are grateful to the administration and BSF for setting up the pillars to keep our homes in India,” said Bimal Chandra Roy, whose Foudar Para village saw 35 houses saved. “But we still need land titles to access full government benefits.”

Arun Roy’s house was saved, though parts of his tea garden now lie beyond the fence. “If our home was across the fence, we’d be refugees,” he remarked. Others, like Robin Chakraborty and Krishna Roy from Notun Para, expressed relief. Sardaprasad Das, president of the Border Citizen Protection Committee, acknowledged the community’s success, noting: “Keeping these homes on Indian soil is a victory for local residents. Now, legal ownership titles are the next step.”