Indian SSB chase Nepali families from their homeland
PRINCESS SHRESTHA writes from Kathmandu
Exactly one and half months ago Indian Sima Sasastra Bal (SSB) or
Border Special Force begun chasing the Nepali families from Triveni
Susta Village saying the territory lies under the jurisdiction of
Indian State of Bihar. About 1000 Indian farmers, who had entered
Susta with the help of Indian forces, not only destroyed sugarcane
planted in about 10 hectares land by Nepali farmers, but also
manhandled men and women. This has showed the clear Indian interest to
displace about 350 Nepali people from their homeland.
Nepali farmers didn't keep quiet this time. They formed a Committee
for Save Susta Campaign in coordination of Gopal Prasad Gurung, and
reached Kathmandu in order to appeal the government to intervene
immediately for start fixing the border pillars. The team met with the
Home Minister Dan Bahadur Shahi and requested him to begin talks with
Indian government for border demarcation. The villagers also requested
the Home Minister to deploy security forces in Susta for safety and
security of Nepalis living there. Surprisingly, the minister did
nothing, but only said that the forces were focused on fighting
against Maoist rebels. The Royal government, which is more concerned
in convincing international community including India about its
current position, is still quiet while Nepali farmers face harassment
by Indian farmers and SSB personnel.
However, human rights defenders, researchers, border specialists and
historians couldn't keep quiet. They visited Susta village to inspect
the problems last week. The situation they describe is horrific,
created by a "big brother" of South Asia. Nurjaha Begum broke down
when the team led by Chetandra Jung Himali of Civic Committee for
Border Concerns listened to what Susta dwellers' have been going
through. Nurjaha told the team: "Indians beat Nepali men; and women
are beaten up too, particularly they hit on sensitive parts of women.
Indian forces accuse us that we have relations with the King and
Maoists; they harass us stating that we smuggle tiger skin, which is
not true."
The seven-member inspection team found the Indians to have encroached
further into about 200 hectares Nepali land. Indian farmers were found
building houses in those area, and SSB of about 1000 strength were
stationed there. "Now the total Nepali land that India has grabbed in
Susta alone has reached about 14,000 hectares," says Buddhi Narayan
Shrestha, a noted border specialist and historian in Nepal. The
Indians have been encroaching into Nepali land in Susta on several
phases in the past.
Nepal-India border dispute isn't limited to Susta
From Tribenighat to Susta, where Narayani River flows from north to
south, it forms the borderline along 24 kilometers between Nepal and
India. No pillar demarcation was made on either side of the river
though "boundary delimitation and delineation" was done a way back
after Nepal and India signed Sugauli Treaty in 1816. This has created
room for border disputes.
Internationally Fixed Boundary Principle and Fluid Boundary Principle
are in practice for border demarcation. In Nepal-India's case, the 9th
meeting of the Joint Technical Level Boundary Committee of the two
countries in first week of January 1988 had agreed to demarcate the
riverine sector on the basis of Fixed Boundary Principle. According to
this principle, says the border specialist, Shrestha, "the borderline
should be fixed along the course followed by the Narayani River in
1816 no matter whether or not the river flows along that area today."
India does not accept this principle in Susta, while it has created
disputes in Mechi River area in eastern Nepal by erecting new border
pillars inside Nepali territory as per the Fixed Boundary Principle.
The two cases of Mechi River area and Narayani River area are exactly
same in nature but India has imposed two different principles for
them.
To stop encroachment a police post was established in Susta. The
government also built a health post and school in order to maintain
Nepal's territorial integrity but time and again stories of
confrontation of Nepali and Indian farmers have been coming to light.
Also the locals narrate cases of Indian farmers trying to get Nepali
citizenship by means of fraud and forgery in order to own those areas.
However, Susta is not the sole case, as Nepal shares 1800 plus
kilometer land border with India, border disputes exist at least at 85
different places. Boundary pillars at dozens of points have
disappeared; the 10-yard wide strip of no man's land between the two
countries is getting blurred day by day and in addition 372 square
kilometers of the Nepali territory of Kalipani at the tri-junction of
Nepal, India and China has been occupied by Indian troops since 1960s.
On one hand, in a map prepared with assistance of the Japanese
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 1992 and another map
prepared with the help of Canadian government in 1985 show whole Susta
area in Nepal's side. On the other hand, the actual scientific
demarcation of Nepal-India boundary had started during topographical
survey of the whole of Nepal carried out by the Survey of India in
1926-27. But India has been delaying to make all the topographical
maps available. For instance, it has not made available 17 sheets of
which 12 sheets pertain to Nepal-India border area that of the
Kalapani, and 5 sheets pertaining to the Nepal-China border. Several
attempts have been made at the national level to resolve the Susta
issue but nothing has happened due to Indian negative attitude. Indian
bureaucrats always suspect of ploy being hatched by Beijing or
Islamabad as and when Nepal brings any agenda for discussion. Early
this month the Nepal-India Joint Technical Level Boundary Team met in
order to resolve border disputes, but like many other previous
meetings, it ended inconclusive.
What does Nepali Civil Society say?
Nepal is a sovereign country and the government should take immediate
action against Indian encroachment. "In fact the issue should be
internationalized as India, claiming itself a representative of South
Asia, is seeking a permanent seat in United Nations Security Council,"
says Gopal Siwakoti Chintan, a human rights defender. He questioned,
"Would India's hegemonic nature towards smaller countries in the
region qualify it to achieve the permanent seat in Security Council?
The government should raise this question while dealing with India,
which needs smaller countries' vote in UN elections."
Other members of Nepali civil society say that only a political
commitment in both countries may resolve the border problems. However,
what is happening in Susta tells a different political scenario. Bihar
State of India, which shares border with Nepal in South, is holding
elections of its State Assembly in January next year; thus Indian
politicians are influencing voters by distributing disputed land of
Susta to Indian farmers. It may also be mentioned that Sima Sasastra
Bal (SSB) have told Nepali families that they would be provided the
land ownership certificate from India if they said that the territory
belonged to India.
"1000 Indian farmers have entered in Susta, it is not only
encroachment in our land, but also an encroachment in our
nationality," said Ram Chandra Chataut, an activist. Adds the border
specialist, Shrestha, "Historical documents should be collected in
order to begin border demarcation immediately. If remained quite,
those Nepalis living in frontier should become foreigners in future."
Civic Committee for Border Concerns is launching programs under Save
Susta Campaign both in Nepal and India. Border specialist, Shrestha,
historian Dr Surendra KC, human rights defender, Chintan and others
are seeking an audience with King Gyanendra to request him to
intervene immediately for resolving Susta border dispute, and ending
harassment faced by Nepali farmers. They will also submit a memorandum
to Indian government through its embassy in Kathmandu. They will meet
Chief of the Army Staff of the Royal Nepalese Army to ensure security
of Nepali people living along border areas. The Committee will make a
documentary on reality of Susta, and organize interactions in New
Delhi in order to aware concerned Indian citizens.
"India is using its media to misinform even Indian citizens. Recently,
an Indian TV spread false story about my book, which was published
seven years ago and tells the reality of Nepal-India border issues.
Thus, we should not keep quite," says Fanindra Nepal, a researcher.
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