Bhogdanga: We may be entering 2023, but travel to interior regions of the Char region in Assam, and you will realise that while the calendar might show a different year, the clock in many places is still stuck in the late 70s.
Take the example of the Bhogdanga village in the Dhubri district. EastMojo’s visit to the village, which is a narrow strip of land barely 50 metres wide, brought to the forefront the basic problems the locals face. And there are several issues. Neighboured by Bangladesh, locals enter Indian territory through a Border Security Force (BSF) check gate maintained by the “BOP Kedar”. It opens every day at six in the morning and closes at sharp nine in the evening. The residents have been issued a gate pass by the BSF, which they must carry when moving out or inside the village.
Bhogdanga, landlocked by three sides of Bangladesh, has around 640 people, mostly Koch Rajbongshis along with a few Muslim families. There are two temples inside the village: one of Lord Shiv and the other of Maa Manasa. While it has two lower primary schools, it does not have a primary health care centre.
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And lack of public health facilities can often endanger local lives. There have been several midnight medical emergencies and ambulances could not make it through. Thankfully, the BSF extended a helping hand each time in the hour of need. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood here, but a few others are engaged in fishing and government jobs also.
Hashima Bibi (68), one of the senior most citizens of the village, told EastMojo that their lifestyle has not changed much. Talking about her initial days in the village after her marriage, she narrated that her mother-in-law used to recite multiple stories of the partition that took place and changed their lives forever.
Hashima said back in the day (before India’s independence), locals lived without any restrictions and the neighbours used to be more human and kind. The partition not only parted us geographically but also emotionally as many of our relatives got separated with whom they used to share their joys and sorrows, Hashima said.
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According to a report released by the Ministry of External Affairs in 2015, there are 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India. The situation in and around such enclaves has always been grim, and Bhogdanga is an example of the same. In some ways, its residents are no less than prisoners under the surveillance of armed forces. They must show their issued passes and take necessary permission to visit India each time they step out, even though they are as Indians as any other citizen.
Supal Chandra Ray, a 32-year-old farmer born in Bhogdanga, said, “The biggest issue is having proper fencing across the border. The only fence which is visible was installed before my birth. The lack of proper boundaries leads to various issues such as infiltration not only of human beings but also of animals. There have been several instances when our cows crossed the border while eating grass after which it is impossible to get them back again. Another issue is that the villagers always live on high alert as thieves and dacoits can enter from the Bangladesh side and loot them in the dark.”
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He further stated, “The main road which connects our village to the rest of India is in very bad condition and has never been built. There are only two small grocery shops inside the village which are of no greater use, as even for small purchases we have to move out and visit the nearest town Golakganj, around 12 kilometres from here.”
There have been many rumours that the government will vacate the village to improve the life of the locals. However, the majority say they are unlikely to accept such an offer in the lack of alternative employment opportunities.
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The locals say farming will stop once evacuated as they will not be offered any land for the same apart from a shelter. Village development seems distant. Since construction is illegal within 200 metres of the international border area, it is unlikely that the village will see development.
They run the risk of being arrested if they do not follow the rules. Parents also fear that their children might be harmed while going to high school which is far outside the village. Like the people of Bhogdanga, thousands of other Indians residing in various enclaves are still waiting to get access to basic civic services, education, health care and other facilities provided by the government. For such people, 2023 is unlikely to change their lives much.
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