Delhi again fails to introduce LBA Bill

[BanglaBhoot]

India’s Congress-led coalition government has once again failed to introduce a Bill to amend the country’s Constitution to ratify Land Boundary Agreement it inked with Bangladesh in 1974 and the additional protocol added to it in 2011.

Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister of India, could not introduce the Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha – the upper House of the country’s Parliament – on Monday, amid stiff resistance from the regional parties like All India Trinamool Congress and Asom Gana Parishad.

The AITC is in power in the Indian State of West Bengal, while the AGP is in opposition in Congress-ruled Assam in the country’s North-East.

The Bill proposes to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution of India to ratify the 1974 land boundary agreement with Bangladesh and the protocol added to it during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Dhaka in September 2011.

The First Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists the States of India and defines their territories.

The AITC and the AGP parliamentarians created uproar in the Rajya Sabha as soon as Khurshid rose to introduce the Bill in the House. Some of the agitating members trooped into the well of the House to protest the move to ratify the Land Boundary Agreement, which, according to them, would go against the interest of both West Bengal and Assam.

The Bharatiya Janata Party – the largest opposition party in Indian Parliament – too opposed the move to introduce the Bill.

The agitated parliamentarians alleged that the Union Government of India had not adequately consulted the state governments of West Bengal and Assam before making the move to ratify the agreement.

The Rajya Sabha had to be adjourned twice as the uproar continued. Finally, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Rajeev Shukla, told the House that the government had decided to defer the introduction of the Bill.

When Foreign Minister Dipu Moni called on Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on July 26, she was assured that the Bill to ratify the land deal would be introduced in Parliament during the Monsoon Session, which commenced on Aug 5 last.

Moni also had a meeting with BJP leader Arun Jaitley during her visit to New Delhi and sought his party’s support to the land deal. Jaitley, however, did not make any commitment to Moni.

Singh recently invited the senior BJP leaders for a meeting at his office and sought the main opposition party’s support to the move to ratify the deal.

The BJP veteran and former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, however, made it clear that his party could not support the Bill due to serious reservation of the party’s state units in West Bengal and Assam.

The United Progressive Alliance Government of India needs at least two-thirds majority in Parliament to pass the Bill to amend the Constitution to ratify the agreement.

Singh’s government has since long been trying to evolve consensus on the issue and seeking the support of the opposition to the Bill.

The AITC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had in September 2011 refused to accompany Singh to Dhaka protesting against New Delhi’s move to strike a deal with Bangladesh for sharing of common river Teesta.

Her protest forced Singh’s government to drop the plan to sign the deal during his visit to Dhaka. The deal has since been put on backburner, with New Delhi maintaining that it was consulting the relevant stakeholders in India and evolve a consensus on the issue.

Delhi again fails to introduce LBA Bill - bdnews24.com

 

[SirHatesALot]

Do not expect this govt to do it as they lack majority required to pass this bill.

 

[HIMEL@BD]

1974-2013 only 39 years passed, we need to celebrate the 50 years of this agree with joint collaboration

Bangladesh should postpone the procedure of Anup Chetia deportation, River trans-shipment agreement

The idea of Land transit, giving Access to Chittagonj port, India-Myanmar gas pipeline should be wiped out from our memory for good

 

[idune]

India withholds "Land Boundary Act" bill (with Bangladesh) amid protest

Staff Correspondent

The Asom Gana Parishad and the Trinamool Congress on Monday scuttled a move in the Rajya Sabha for introduction of a bill which provides for exchange of enclaves with Bangladesh, Indian media reported.

As soon as external affairs minister Salman Khurshid rose to introduce Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill, 2013, Birendra Prasad Baishya (AGP) trooped into the well holding two placards. He was supported by Trinamool members, the Hindu newspaper reported quoting Press Trust of India.

They caused uproar by opposing the bill which was intended to give effect to the acquiring of territories by India and transfer of certain territories to Bangladesh in pursuance of the land boundary deal and its protocol singed by the two countries.

Because of the din, Khurshid could not move the bill for introduction and deputy chairman PJ Kurien adjourned the house for 10 minutes at 2:00pm.After the house resumed, Kurien said the bill would be taken up sometime later and wanted to take up another listed business.
Bharatya Janata Party members also objected to the introduction of the bill which was finally deferred.

India has kept pending ratification of the land boundary agreement signed on May 16, 1974, halting the process of border demarcation and exchange of enclaves till date although Bangladesh ratified the treaty on November 27, 1974.

India and Bangladesh have a common boundary of 4,096.7 kilometers.Dhaka is concerned about the fate of the land boundary agreement as there is no positive sign for the passage of a constitutional amendment bill in the Indian parliament, according to officials.

Officials in Dhaka are in doubts if the bill could be passed in the current session that would end on August 30 with a host of other bills waiting to be placed in Rajya Sabha.The Indian constitution needs to be amended because the LBA stipulates an exchange of territories.

Neither of the governments can get access to the enclaves along the border surrounded by the territory of the other state. The people living there have no national identity and they cannot travel to their home state without crossing the international border.

http://www.newagebd.com/detail.php?date=2013-08-20&nid=61753#.UhKZ8n_y0is

 

[livingdead]

this is lame duck govt.. the impasse will continue till next general election...

 

[damiendehorn]

It will never be ratified period. What can one expect from india? I remember indian members on PDF saying be patient, it takes a while for things to move in india, 39 years and counting, ha ha these BD politicians really are dumb..thick as sh*t. Trusting indian man, can't believe they fell for it.

 

[livingdead]

It will never be ratified period. What can one expect from india? I remember indian members on PDF saying be patient, it takes a while for things to move in india, 39 years and counting, ha ha these BD politicians really are dumb..thick as sh*t. Trusting indian man, can't believe they fell for it.

its not as if you have given up your land... it will be an exchange..

 

[damiendehorn]

its not as if you have given up your land... it will be an exchange..

It's about honouring agreements you sign up to. Your gov signed the border agreement in 1974, now 39 years later, not just 1 or 2 years but 39 years later you still can't honour your agreements. On top of that you stall on the river agreement, Now tell me how we should, react? Trusting india, sounds like the dumbest thing to do.

You now want access to our ports and transit through our country to the north east. Don't get me wrong I am blaming our politician more then yours, for actually trusting your country.

 

[Menace2Society]

It's about honouring agreements you sign up to. Your gov signed the border agreement in 1974, now 39 years later, not just 1 or 2 years but 39 years later you still can't honour your agreements. On top of that you stall on the river agreement, Now tell me how we should, react? Trusting india, sounds like the dumbest thing to do.

You now want access to our ports and transit through our country to the north east. Don't get me wrong I am blaming our politician more then yours, for actually trusting your country.

Moral of the story, never trust an Indian.

Bagal Mein Churi Aur Mun Mein Raam Raam

 

[Zabaniyah]

And is this supposed to be a surprise?

 

[Skies]

It will never be ratified period. What can one expect from india? I remember indian members on PDF saying be patient, it takes a while for things to move in india, 39 years and counting, ha ha these BD politicians really are dumb..thick as sh*t. Trusting indian man, can't believe they fell for it.

I do not think our politicians are dumb, I mean the BAL ones. They are making the dumb people fool by trying to make them believe India will do that or that. Basically, the BAL ones are trying to show that "we are trying to make India convinced, please have faith on us and vote us, which they themselves know well that India will not do that land exchange deal".

 

[jaunty]

It will never be ratified period. What can one expect from india? I remember indian members on PDF saying be patient, it takes a while for things to move in india, 39 years and counting, ha ha these BD politicians really are dumb..thick as sh*t. Trusting indian man, can't believe they fell for it.

Not all of them are dumb, jamatis are pretty smart.