The Lok Sabha today passed the constitution amendment bill to implement the historic land boundary agreement with Bangladesh, completing the stamp of approval by Indian parliament to settle the more than four-decade-old land boundary and exchange of enclaves issues.
The same bill was okayed by Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, around 6:10pm (Indian time).
Moving the 119th Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day, which will enable operationalisation of the 1974 India-Bangladesh Land Boundary agreement, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said its passage will help demarcate boundaries and send a message to neighbours that political parties in India are united when it comes to border-sharing.
Swaraj said 80 percent of India’s border with Bangladesh is demarcated and fenced, and once the LBA is implemented, the remaining part of the border will also be defined and fenced which will help stop illegal migration.
“The solution to infiltration lies in implementation of land boundary agreement,” she said.
Swaraj said India would sort out the Teesta river water-sharing issue with Bangladesh in the same spirit in which it has sorted out the settlement of maritime and now land boundaries.
Swaraj said the maritime boundary issue between India and Bangladesh was settled on July 4 last year when India accepted the verdict of an international arbitration body.
On the question of settling the issue of common rivers, she said the issue is still pending and the main issue of course relates to Teesta and discussions are on this too “and we will try to resolve it in the same way we have resolved maritime and land boundary issues.”
The Indian minister said it is often alleged that India is a “big brother” in South Asia.
“But let me assure you India will never behave like a big brother but like an elder brother who cares about its neighbours.”
“I want to use the floor of this House to say that India’s attitude towards its neighbours has never been that of a big brother. It is that of an elder brother who cares,” she said.
When a member of Lok Sabha quipped “big brother or big sister,” Swaraj smiled and added “it is the prime minister who represents India and the PM is he and nor she”.
Referring to passage of the bill by Rajya Sabha, she said, “This has sent a message to Bangladesh that political parties in India do not have divergent views. The unity which was witnessed in the Rajya Sabha, if the same will be seen in the Lok Sabha then a very good message will be sent to Bangladesh.”
– Star Online Report