Chitmahals.

The Indo-Bangladesh enclaves, also known as the chitmahals (Bengali: ??????) are the enclaves along theBangladesh–India border, in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.

There are 102 Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh and 71 Bangladeshi ones inside India, with a combined population between 50,000 to 100,000. Inside those enclaves are also 28 counter-enclaves and one counter-counter-enclave.^[1]

In September 2011, the Prime Ministers of the two countries (Manmohan Singh of India and Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh) signed an accord on border demarcation and exchange of adversely held enclaves. Under this agreement, the enclave residents may continue residing at their present location or move to the country of their choice.^[2]

The enclaves were used as stakes in card or chess games centuries ago between two regional kings, the Raja of Cooch Behar and the Maharaja of Rangpur.^[3] The little territories were the result of a confused outcome of a treaty between the Kingdom of Koch Bihar and the Mughal Empire.^[4]

After the partition of India in 1947, Cooch Behar district was merged with India and Rangpur went to then East Pakistan, which became Bangladesh in 1971. In 1974, both countries agreed either to exchange the enclaves or at least to provide easy access to the enclaves, but little materialised. Talks between the two countries on the issue resumed in 2001, but the lack of a concrete time frame relegated the issue to the back burner.

The residents of the enclaves live in abysmal conditions, with a lack of water, roads, electricity, schools and medicines. Crime also is rampant, as complaining would mean crossing the international boundary due to the lack of law enforcement resources. Residents of the enclaves may go to their respective countries only on the production of an identity card, after seeking permission from the border guards, causing much resentment. Recently the countries have moved towards an agreement to absorb the enclaves, but the resulting nationality of the current residents remains an impediment as it could have implications for border disputes in other parts of the region.^[5]

In September 2011, the governments of India and Bangladesh announced an intention to resolve the issue by means of swapping 162 enclaves, giving residents a choice of nationality.^[6][7]

[edit]Example enclaves

[edit]Bangladesh exclaves

Dohogram–Angorpotha (Teen Bigha Corridor): A Bangladeshi exclave administrated Pathgram upzila in Lalmonirhat zila lies within the Indian province of West Bengal. The exclave has an area of 25 km² (10 sq mi) with a resident population of 20,000 people. The exclave lacks all facilities. The lone health complex remains virtually useless for lack of power supply, as India refused to allow Bangladesh to run power lines to the exclave.

The land was actually leased indefinitely to Bangladesh so that they could access the Dehgram–Angalpota enclaves.

My point is not many people know anything about this but we need to know. we need to go there TOGETHER with facilities and maybe NGOs and with whatever we have TOGETHER and help these vast amount of people who die every second cause our stupid governments refuse to give so many people legal identities because of the stupid border in between. we need to do something about it.only ranting about it wont help. i am going there with ngos , and i dont care if i miss senior year by that. these people need us as a whole to help them..if government cannot do anything , we will..maybe we cannot solve everything but at least we can try and solve many things which were unsolved if not everything right? it will still be a mass improvement for these people...so heres a crazy idea by an impossibly , impulsive teenager who is introverted as well but is crazy...the idea is ...though we know each other by just net..lets go there together..and no I AM SERIOUS. LETS GO THERE WITH SUPPLIES AND NGOS AND HELP THESE PEOPLE TOGETHER. PLEASE. LETS DO THIS. IF WE ARE CALLED HUMANS , THEN LETS DO SOME REAL HUMANITY AS WELL TOGETHER.LETS INCREASE THE AWARENESS OF THIS AND GO THERE AND IMPROVE THINGS..YOUR VIEWS ABOUT THIS PLEASE? whatever it is...i just hope we all just go there together and do something about it. please lets do something together cause only one person cannot make a difference but we all together can!! lets go!!!!!!!!!