Border fatalities

There have been deaths of Bangladeshi citizens in BSF firing recently. The last victim is a farmer killed on Sunday in Naogaon. Earlier on Friday, two farmers were gunned down on Borogram border in Dinajpur. All this is regrettable.

People living in the border areas have every reason to feel worried over the sudden spurt in shooting that is totally out of place with friendship exuded at other levels between the two countries. Of course, there are peaceable mechanisms to try and solve any localised tiff or problem without having to behave in a trigger-happy manner.

The official protests lodged by the Bangladesh side after such incidents are said to be not promptly responded to by the other side nor do the routine flag meetings have had the desired sobering effect on the ground. The BSF authorities either dismiss the reports as exaggerated, or label the victims as criminals or smugglers. Even if anyone of them is alleged to be so, aren't there standard procedures available to take recourse to a legal process there? Murdering of any innocent is not the stuff of which good neighbourliness is made.

The issue of border tension has featured in Indo-Bangla talks times without number. There has been a clear commitment from both the sides that they would refrain from doing anything provocative. Great emphasis is often laid on good neighbourliness. However, as things stand now, the commitment to peace in border areas appears in dire need for graduating from talking to fulfilment.

Higher authorities of India need to have a closer look at the issue. Their intercession together with the implementation of pledges accumulating from periodic high level cross-border meetings can signally contribute to the preemption of any untoward border incident between two otherwise friendly neighbours.