Area where 16 BSF men were killed to go to Bangladesh

R Dutta Choudhury.

The area where 16 Border Security Force (BSF) men were killed in 2001 will go to Bangladesh if the Indo-Bangla land swapping deal is passed by the Parliament. The land swapping protocol was signed by India and Bangladesh during the last visit of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to that country last year and now it has to be ratified by the Parliament to make it effective.

The land swapping deal is aimed at dealing with the problem of adverse possessions and enclaves, but the Baraibari area in Dhubri district, which is in adverse possession of Bangladesh, will go to the neighbouring country if the deal is passed by the Parliament. The Baraibari area witnessed the worst ever clash along the border since the creation of Bangladesh and it will always remain fresh in the memories of everyone for the gruesome killing of the BSF men.

The clash in Boraibari started with the Bangladesh Rifles and Army personnel encircling the BSF camp in Pyrduah in Meghalaya, the area which is under the adverse possession of India. After the incident, a team of the BSF headed by assistant commandant BR Mondal entered the Boraibari area but they were cordoned off by local people and BDR personnel. The BSF men were brutally hacked to death and their bodies were later handed over to India. Following the incident, an exchange of fire between the BSF and BDR also took place in the area and one Indian civilian was killed in the cross fire. As the firing continued for some time, the people of the villages living near the international border had to be evacuated.

It is still not clear as to why the BSF team went to Boraibari, which is in adverse possession of Bangladesh. It is believed that following the encirclement of Pyrduah, the BSF men tried to repeat the same style in the BDR camp at Boraibari. But it is still not clear whether the BSF team, which went inside Boraibari had the clearance of the Government or the senior officers of the border guarding force to enter that area. Interestingly, when they were encircled by the villagers and BDR men, they did not open fire even on self defence though they were carrying firearms with them.

Meanwhile, official sources said that people of some areas did not accept the Radcliff Commission recommendations during the time of partition of the country in 1947 and that is why the boundary disputes could not be settled. The problem continued even after the creation of Bangladesh with the help of India and even the 1974 border agreement failed to sort out the problem of adverse possessions.

Sources said that the Boraibari area, which according to the Map, is in Dhubri district of India, was never in possession of India and similarly, the Pyrduah area was always in possession of India as the Khasi people living in that area never wanted to go to Bangladesh.

Official sources said that now efforts are on to settle the disputes and a joint survey was carried out. Officials of both the countries visited the disputed areas and even took the views of the people living in those areas before finalizing its report, on the basis of which, the land swapping deal was prepared.

-via The Assam Tribune Online.

Denied leave, BSF trooper kills self

A BSF trooper in Tripura shot himself dead with his service weapon after his superior rejected his leave application, police said here Sunday.

Border Security Force (BSF) trooper Bijender Singh, 36, shot himself Saturday night with his service rifle and his body was found in the backyard of an outpost at Belonia in southern Tripura, a police spokesman told reporters.

The spokesman said that Bijender Singh had recently applied for leave to go to his home in Haryana. The battalion commandant rejected the application before he took the extreme step.

-via Firstpost.

BSF jawan thrashed by mob on molestation charge

A BSF jawan was injured after being beaten up by a mob on Saturday for allegedly outraging the modesty of a woman at Mawpat in Meghalaya, near the Bangladesh border.

A senior police officer said the 28-year old jawan, identified as Ratheesh, allegedly molested the woman by sneaking into her house near the headquarters of the 83 battalion of the border guards while she was asleep yesterday.

He was thrashed by local people when the matter came to light. He was later taken to the hospital of the border force in a serious condition.

A BSF spokesman said full cooperation will be extended to the police in its investigation and action will be taken against the personnel for “sullying the image of the force.”

-via Zee News

Kidnap and rape: 7 years jail for BSF jawan

TNN.

A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan identified as Murari Prasad was convicted by the additional district and session judge Vth of Kanpur City Neerja Singh on Wednesday for kidnapping and raping his sister-in-law and was sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 5,000.

According to the prosecution, Prasad kidnapped his sister-in-law from Armapur area on August 15, 2005 morning when she was going to her school.

Prasad told her that her sister (his wife) was in a precarious condition and had sent for her. He added that he had her father’s permission to take her with him.

He took the girl to Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab and kept her with him for more than a month.

The police caught him with the girl on September 21, 2005 when they were passing by Kanpur. Police claimed to have nabbed him with the girl from Jhakarkati bus stand. The girl in her statement accused Prasad of exploiting her physically.

The police charged the BSF Jawan with enticing, kidnapping and raping the girl. The presiding officer acquitted him from enticing charges but punished him under section 366 and 376 IPC. He was awarded a seven year term and imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 for each of the charges, respectively.

-via The Times of India.

BSF officer blames mobile phones for troops’ suicides

Mobile phones are to blame for rising suicides in the BSF as it lets the troopers know about problems in their families, at times causing intense depression, an officer said on Sunday.

“Unable to cope with the pressure at work and familial problems, often they are getting depressed,” Additional Director General (East) BD Sharma told the media here.

“Till August, 15 BSF personnel have committed suicide in the eastern theatre. Depression is the major reason. In a sense, the telecommunication boom can be blamed for the suicides,” he said.

“You can’t worry about something you don’t know. That is what used to happen earlier when letters would take weeks to reach them. But with the advent of mobile they are now instantly aware of problems back home.”

In 2007, the number of BSF personnel committing suicide in the eastern theatre was 18. This slid to 15 the next year. The corresponding figures for 2009 and 2010 are 13 and 14 respectively.

Last year, 21 troopers took their own lives.

The BSF now ensures that troopers get compulsory leave on three occasions per year.

“We have mandated that a trooper will have to go on leave at least thrice a year. Moreover, if somebody has exhausted his leave we arrange for his families to come over and stay for few days,” said Sharma.

Sharma, who has done a study on suicide in the forces, said in most cases the personnel committed suicide immediately after returning from home.

Regular counseling and motivational programmes are also conducted to keep the personnel in right frame of mind.

-via Zee News

BSF jawan shoots himself dead

Border Security Force (BSF) authorities in Tripura Frontier are facing a serious challenge in ensuring a stress-free environment for the troops, as was illustrated by the suicide of a jawan on Friday. It was the third incident of suicide by BSF personnel in Tripura this year.

According to BSF authorities all three incidents occurred due to the victims’ personal or family problems, but the issue of isolated lifestyle at remote border outposts appears to be a major cause of concern.

The BSF constable reportedly committed suicide on Friday by shooting himself dead from his service rifle at Khowai in West Tripura. The victim, identified as Suresh Kumar Pandey (37), was a resident of Uttar Pradesh. He was posted as a constable in the 10th battalion of BSF, along Tripura-Bangladesh border.

Pandey had enjoyed two months leave only a month ago and he was said to be fine till Friday afternoon, but he suddenly shot himself from his service rifle around 6 pm the same evening, a BSF official said.

“He was shifted to Khowai sub-divisional hospital immediately and was then moved to Agartala Government Medical College at night where he was declared dead,” the BSF official said.

The body was to be sent to the victim’s home on Saturday. Pandey is survived by his parents, wife and two sons.

-via The Times of India.

BSF jawan kills self

A BSF jawan allegedly committed suicide by firing from his service gun in Koraput’s Boipariguda on Saturday. He has been identified as Lukeswar Singh (41) from Punjab’s Gurudaspur. Police said the incident took place around 10.50 am at the camp of 105 Battalion of the BSF. The deceased jawan was on sentry duty at the BSF camp and carrying a light machine gun (LMG).

“The jawan has fired from his gun and died instantly as the bullet pierced his head. The reason behind the suicide is yet to be ascertained. The postmortem was done at Boipariguda hospital and his body will be sent home,” said SP (Koraput) Awinash Kumar.

After preliminary inquiry the SP said, “A few minutes before committing suicide, the jawan had spoken to his family over telephone and was upset. Though not sure, we suspect some domestic problem behind the crime and are trying to establish contact with his family. A case has been registered and investigation is on. The reason behind the suicide will be known once we complete our enquiry.”

-via The Times of India.

BSF constable commits suicide in Amritsar

Yadhir Rana.

A Border Security Force (BSF) constable committed suicide in Amritsar on Saturday.

BSF Inspector General , Frontier, Aditiya Mishra told TOI that constable Raman Bharti was posted in the area of Kahangarh Border out post near Indo-Pak international border when he shot himself under the jaw with his service revolver.

He said Bharti had recently completed his training and was posted at Indo-Pak border for past nearly 5 to 6 months. He said the force would conduct investigations to find out as to why Bharti took the extreme step.

-via The Times of India.

BSF jawan arrested for molesting woman on train

A personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly molesting a woman on the Trivandrum Mail in Kerala.

The incident comes within 24 hours of another similar incident in the state, when a policeman was accused by a 21-year-old girl of misbehaving with her in the Jan Shatabdi Express.

The police official belonged to the Army Reserve Camp and was arrested later on by the Railway Protection Force.

-via IBN

Punjab village cut off as BSF removes bridge

Residents in the remote village of Mohar Jamsher in Punjab are in for a gruelling months ahead, as the Border Security Force (BSF) removed its only link with the mainland this week.

The lone border village, hemmed in by Pakistan on three sides and by the raging waters of the Sutlej on the other, had only the BSF-managed pontoon bridge to reach the mainland. But the BSF removed the bridge, citing security and the threat of flash floods that would likely to damage it, leaving villagers stranded.

Despite assurance from the BSF that the bridge will be fixed again towards September when the monsoon recedes, the villagers have no way of reaching the mainland for the next month-and-a-half.

The only large boat that carried men, cattle, and even tractors until last year is damaged. Small may not be adequate to ferry people and cattle, villagers say.

The dismantling of the bridge has put farmers who have their paddy fields on the other side of the river, says village headman Kulwant Singh.

Residents here have lost all hopes of a solution to the problem that surface each year, as promises to put up a concrete structure for their free movement remains unfulfilled.

Rescue operations

The BSF restricts movement of the villagers at night. Its boat is used only for search and rescue operations during emergencies. Sadly, even that is not a sure thing when water in the Sutlej becomes raging and unpredictable.

-via Deccan Herald