on-no-man-s-land-along-bhutan-border-residents-aspire-for-sustained-peace-security

The sleepy settlement of about 20 families on 'no man's land' along the Bhutan border in Assam's Udalguri district may appear removed from the hectic electioneering at first glance.

 

But a short interaction with the residents will reveal that their aspirations are the same as of any other voter in the country – security and improved amenities.

 

Among the 50-odd residents in this stretch of less than half a kilometre between the border gates of India and Bhutan in the Bhairabkunda area, Rajkumar Sharma, a 40-something Gorkha, is all set to cast his vote in the Darrang-Udalguri constituency on Friday.

 

"We are going to vote with the hope that a stable government is formed as we know how important it is to have stable regimes on both sides for people like us to sustain," Rajkumar said.

 

He has been running a small eatery here for the last six months with his wife Uma.

 

"Business is brisk as we get tourists and also people from both sides of the border, who commute regularly for various work," Rajkumar said.

People of both countries residing in the area as well as tourists can cross the border by displaying necessary identity documents without hassles due to friendly bilateral ties.

 

Being a Bhutanese citizen, Rajkumar’s wife Uma cannot vote here but her expectations from the Indian government are similar to that of any woman in this part of the world.

 

"The power supply is erratic, to say the least. A water tank has been built and pipes laid but we are yet to get tap water. We hope the government looks into these aspects," Uma said, tossing noodles on a frying pan in the couple's small eatery for the four young tourists who sipped Bhutan-made beverages available here.

 

Kuntimaya, who has also been running a restaurant for several years, added, "Earlier, the issues like security and safety were graver. Now, these have been mostly resolved. We can aspire for a better standard of living, with basic amenities like power and drinking water supply."

 

With the hardships of life etched on her face, Kuntimaya recounted how she spent endless nights in nearby jungles or by the river with her two daughters to save them from 'drunkards' years ago.

 

Having reached Bharaibkunda as a child with her parents from Kokrajhar, she had married a man from Arunachal Pradesh, but he died soon leaving her to bring up two young girls on her own.

 

The elder is now married in a nearby village, while the younger, along with her two children, stays with Kuntimaya after being widowed a year ago.

"Return of peace in Bodoland areas has been a boon for us. We urge that whoever may form the government, please maintain this peace for the sake of common people like us," said Kuntimaya who casts her vote in all elections.

 

Udalguri comes under the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), an area once dominated by militants who have now joined the mainstream after two main peace agreements in the region in 2003 and 2020.

 

The setting up of a permanent Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) gate at the Indian border has also ensured that the goons do not create menace, Rajkumar, who ran an eatery on the other side of the border initially, said.

 

The permanent SSB gate was built around 2019, which entails that the personnel are stationed 24 hours at the border.

 

Earlier, the temporary gate was manned during the daytime and the personnel returned to the camp about two kms away at dusk