History at Midnight: India, Bangladesh Exchange Enclaves
Children wave the Indian flag to celebrate the exchange of enclaves between India and Bangladesh. The exchange of 162 enclaves is taking place on July 31, 2015, marking the start of implementation of their landmark land boundary agreement.
“Seven…six…five…four…three…two…one…and now…and now we are freeeeeeee!” screamed Anwarul Haque, an 18-year-old high school student.
Carrying a tricolour, he turned with a shriek of delight and sprinted through the moonlit village road towards a chawk on the neighbourhood that till Friday was foreign land to them. But, no longer.
At the stroke of midnight, Mashaldanga, like 50 other Bangladeshi enclaves in Indian territory, turned into Indian land with an Indian pin code. Altogether 14,856 residents of these enclaves became Indian citizens, putting an end to an agony that started in 1947 with the Partition. Details
