India, Bangladesh farmers clash along border in West Bengal

The confrontation erupted after Indian farmers accused their Bangladeshi counterparts of crossing the border to steal crops, BSF officials said

Farmers from India and Bangladesh clashed along the international border in West Bengal’s Malda district on Saturday, forcing border guards from both nations to fire stun grenades and tear gas to disperse crowds that swelled to nearly 1,000 people on each side, officials said.

The clash site was less than a kilometre from Sabdalpur, where tensions first erupted on January 5 when BSF began constructing a border fence along a 1.2 km stretch within 150 yards of the international border (ANI)

The confrontation, which began around 11:45 am at Sukhdevpur, about 50 km south of Malda town, erupted after Indian farmers accused their Bangladeshi counterparts of crossing the border to steal crops, BSF officials said. The incident quickly escalated from an altercation to stone pelting between residents of both countries.

“An altercation started which soon snowballed and took a serious turn. Hundreds of farmers from both sides gathered abusing each other and pelting stones,” a BSF official posted in Malda said, asking not to be named. Officials reported no serious injuries.

Local Indian farmers alleged a pattern of cross-border incursions.

“They (Bangladeshi farmers) often sneak in to destroy our crops and farming machinery. We chase them back but many times we suffer losses as they destroy our water pumps and cut our crops even if they aren’t mature,” a villager from Sabdalpur told HT, asking not to be named.

“The situation at the border is now completely normal and under control,” NK Pandey, DIG BSF (South Bengal Frontier) said.

The response on Saturday from the two border forces highlighted contrasting levels of crowd control.

“While our people responded to the BSF’s call and retreated to the Indian side, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel had a difficult time because a group of civilians on their side of the border continued to stay put at their border,” an official said, noting that while citizens clashed, the two border forces maintained coordination.

By late afternoon, the situation remained tense. “Until 5:30 pm, Bangladeshi civilians had refused to adhere to the BGB personnel and were staying put at the border fence and trying to provoke the Indian villagers,” said an officer who was at the spot.

The crowds finally dispersed after BGB managed to clear their side in the evening.

The proposed fence construction, which triggered the current face-off, has been put on hold.

“We are awaiting orders from senior officers to proceed with the construction. The single fence construction work is on hold,” a BSF officer said.

The clash site was less than a kilometre from Sabdalpur, where tensions first erupted on January 5 when BSF began constructing a border fence along a 1.2 km stretch within 150 yards of the international border.

That incident had seen hundreds of villagers from both countries gathering with sharp weapons and lathis, though no violence was reported then.

The situation at the border was part of a diplomatic wrangle between the two countries as well – Dhaka called India’s high commissioner to Bangladesh last Sunday to express “deep concern” over the situation at the border and violence.

The following day, India summoned the deputy high commissioner in Delhi to stress the need to uphold the understanding of border management the two countries came to in the past.

Diplomatic relations and the atmosphere at the border have steadily soured since August 5, when former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India. BGB has halted BSF construction at “6-7 different places” in North and South Bengal frontiers where work was mutually agreed upon under the previous government.