Across the Indo-Bangla border…. Just for 10 rupees.

Ratnadeep Choudhury

They were all of same age, around 10 years old, their tenderness was imminent in their every move, yet one had to believe that they illegally crossed into India from Bangladesh ferrying cartons of eggs, that too for just 10 rupees. “This is the second time that we crossed into the Indian side illegally. We know that its risky, but then we were paid Rs.10 for every carton we peddled.”, says Shaheen, who hails from Umedpur, adjacent to the Akhuara International Border check post, near Agartala,the capital of the tiny Northeastern State of Tripura. While Shaheen narrates the tale why he took to smuggling at an age when he should have been learning his lessons in School, his two sisters, Bobita and Rakhi, were sobbing. Shaheen, Bobita and Rakhi were nabbed by BSF after they illegally crossed into India from Bangladesh. The were peddling three cartons of egg. The consignment belonged to one Akram, who fled away while these tiny tots were grilled by BSF.
“ Akram used to pay Rs.10 for each carton. We were carrying three cartons, which would have yielded Rs.30, which mean a lot for us.” Shaheen added.
According to BSF sources, the trans border petty smugglers have taken a new ploy of using minor children as peddlers of illegal goods across the border. BSF has increased the border vigil. While it is easier for children to snick through the loopholes in border vigil, the larger reason of using them is that they are cheap labour. “ While one needs to pay a youth Rs.30 for one carton of egg, there is a larger risk of getting caught. On the other hand, a child does the same work with Rs.15 or Rs.10.It is a good deals for us in petty trafficking.” says a smuggler at Lankamura villages on the Indo-Bangla Border, on condition of anonymity. Most of the Bangladeshi villages along the Akhuara border are economically very feeble. Before the erection of barbed border fencing, these villagers used to snick into Agartala through the porous border in search of livelihood. Now this infiltration is a bit less, though one can easily find hundreds of Bangladeshis inflowing here at the dawn, and again crossing back to homeland at the dusk. “ There are hundreds of families on the other side whose livelihood depend on the works they do in Agartala.The entire family is engaged in cross border movement of smuggled goods. The parents force their children to the risky job. “ Opined Salim Mia, a resident of Akhura in Bangladesh.BSF has also taken a note of their abrupt rise in the use of children in petty smuggling across the Indo-Bangla border. “ Recently we have tightened our vigil and caught many smugglers. But, it’s alarming that we are frequently coming across such children. We are pushing them back on humanitarian grounds.”, BSF Official says. BSF now faces a great trouble since each time these children are caught, the Bangladeshi counterpart,BDR denies accepting them. These children are largely scared of BDR. “ If we are handed over to BDR, they will not leave us until they take bribe from our parents. “ alleges Shaheen. These children are caught in a tyranny. They desperately want to return home, but they know their father would again send them to the border next morning, all of 10 bucks, which mean a lot to a family where earning two square meals in like a moonwalk.