Translated material
Enclave, another enclave
The end of the most confusing territorial dispute: The Washington Post
On August 1, an agreement between India and Bangladesh on the exchange of enclaves - small territories of one state, from all sides surrounded by the boundaries of another, entered into force. 162 such territories fall under the law - already from this we can conclude how confusing all this time was the border between India and Bangladesh. However, one case is unique: the Indian district of Dahala Kagrabari, the only third order enclave in the world. The journalist The Washington Post Adam Taylor briefly talks about him.
The territorial dispute between India and Bangladesh lasts several decades: it began long before Bangladesh formed as an independent state in 1971. The history of enclaves (they are called the Kuch-Bihar enclaves , named after the principality that previously existed in this area) is leaving even further-at the beginning of the 18th century.
In 1713, the Empire of the Great Mogols captured some lands of Raja Kuch-bihar but could not evict all the feudal lords from their lands. The difficulties for the population of the enclaves began in 1947, when the British India was divided into several states. For example, a resident of Enclave needs a visa to enter the territory of the surrounding state. He can get it only in one of the large cities of his country, and in order to get there, it was necessary to cross the border - sometimes more than once.
In total, 50 thousand people lived on the territory of the enclaves in India and Bangladesh.
In principle, the existence of enclaves cannot be called a rarity. Before the formation of national states, they met throughout Europe. The situation with the district of Dahala Kagrabari was unique because he was the only third -order enclave in the world. In other words, Dahala Kagrabari is the territory of India, surrounded by the territory of Bangladesh, surrounded by the territory of India, surrounded by the territory of Bangladesh. For clarity, look at the picture:
The first agreement on the exchange of territories between India and Bangladesh was signed in 1974, but it was not ratified by the Indian parliament. The new document was signed in 2011 and eventually led to the signing in June 2015 of the agreement on the land border.
According to this agreement, India will transmit Bangladesh 111 enclaves with a total area of about 70 square kilometers. Bangladesh will transfer to India 51 an enclave with a total area of about 28 square kilometers. Enclaves residents will be invited to choose citizenship: those who have accepted the new one will be able to stay in their homes, those who want to save the old will have to move.
“According to legends, the enclaves appeared as a result of a chess game with the participation of Maharaja Kuch-bihara. According to another version - when a drunken employee of the British colonial administration put a blot on the map. Historians are inclined to the fact that they arose in the XVIII century as a result of an attempt to conquer the heap-bihara mogols ”(English ulcer).