INDIA-DESH BOUNDARY BILL STUCK AGAIN

The Bill is for ratifying a pact signed with Bangladesh in 1974, to settle disputes over demarcation of boundary at various places, a protocol for which was signed by PM Manmohan Singh during his Dhaka trip in September 2011, to transfer territories that

Much to the diplomatic embarrassment, Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid for the second time in four months on Monday gave up introduction of the 119th Constitution amendment bill in the Rajya Sabha in the wake of the Trinamool Congress and Assam Gana Parishad members rushing to his desk to prevent him. The Bill is for ratifying an agreement signed with Bangladesh four decades ago in 1974 to settle disputes over demarcation of boundary at various places, a protocol for which was signed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his Dhaka trip in September 2011 to transfer territories that would get India 111 “enclaves” in exchange of its 51. Indira Gandhi had signed the agreement with Sheikh Mujibar Rehman in May 1974 to exchange the “enclaves” or at least provide easy access to each other to them. India and Bangladesh have a common boundary of 4,096.7 km. The “enclaves” that are to be exchanged are those that protrude into each other’’s territory at many places, making their administration difficult for both the governments. Deputy Chairman Prof. P J Kurien averted ugly scenes by quickly adjourning the House for ten minutes and later announced that the bill would be taken up later and restored order by allowing introduction of other Bills. He called Khurshid to his chamber during the break to take the decision. He apparently did not want repeat of May 7, when two AGP members tried to snatch the copy of the bill and prevented the minister to pilot it. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which had too protested at transfer of the border land to Bangladesh, did not join the protest, but it later made it known that it was not supporting the government on the issue.

Khurshid was just called to pilot the Bill at 2 PM in the post-lunch session, when lone AGP member Birendra Prasad Baishya (AGP) rushed into the well raising slogans and holding two placards. Baishya even tried to snatch papers from Khurshid’s desk, when the Trinamool Congress members also assembled, waiving “no”, “no” on his face until the Chair adjourned the House for ten minutes.

The commotion resumed with Baishya and TMC member back in the well even after the Chair ruled that introduction of the disputed Bill has been deferred and called another minister G K Vasan to introduce another bill for amendment of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1958. The order was restored after Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla made the agitated members wise, telling them that “the Bill has been deferred.”

In the bill, the government has argued that the First Schedule of the Constitution needs to be amended to give effect to an agreement of 1974 and its protocol entered between the governments of the two countries two-years-ago.