If the proposed Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between India and Bangladesh becomes a reality it would not only galvanise the relations between the two countries but would also set the pace for solving the border issues with other countries especially with China on the North-East borders. Parliament has to ratify the key pending legislative business. The proposed Constitution Amendment Bill envisaging exchange of 112 Indian and Bangladesh enclaves and fully demarcate the border has been hanging fire in Parliament since UPA days. Then BJP had opposed this Bill on the ground that it violated the basic feature of the Constitution. But after coming to power Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the border agreement would be in the interest of country’s long term security environment. If such a thought process prevails politically long pending border issues with China in north-east bordering Arunachal Pradesh and areas bordering Jammu and Kashmir could find an amicable solution which can lead to easing out the unwanted security buildup in these areas. In this direction the Border Personnel Meet (BPM) held in Ladakh sector of Jammu and Kashmir recently especially ahead of Modi’s visit to China from 14th to 16th May holds much importance. This was the third meeting on the two sides of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh sector in the past fortnight. The entire meeting took place on 14th and 24th April. The meeting reflected the mutual desire of maintaining and improving relations at functional level on borders. Jammu and Kashmir has large chunk of land acceded to China after the 1962 aggression which has remained till date a disputed one and if the coming Modi visit is able to work out a solution or set the ball rolling in settling these contentious issues on borders normalcy can be restored in relations. Given that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs has unanimously endorsed LBA, Govt could easily pass the Constitution Amendment Bill with opposition Congress support. Such crucial issues should not be politicised at the cost of nation’s security.
