Border farmers battle crop loot, systemic delays

Despite repeated pleas from locals, border fencing remains incomplete as men from across the border enter Indian farms and loot crop with impunity

- MANAS R BANNERJEE

Farmers living along the unfenced stretches of the Indo-Bangladesh border in north Bengal are caught in a relentless struggle—between protecting their crops and navigating a security vacuum exacerbated by porous borders, delayed fencing projects, and mounting fears.

From Sukhdebpur to the Barind belt in Habibpur, Malda, and the tobacco fields of Cooch Behar to the tea gardens of Jalpaiguri, the story remains disturbingly similar: groups of miscreants from across the Bangladesh border brazenly loot standing and harvested crops, often slipping past the watchful eyes of the Border Security Force (BSF).

These incursions, long known to locals but rarely addressed in national discourse, have intensified following recent political shifts in Bangladesh.

"I've lost almost an entire season's crop," said a farmer from Habibpur, still shaken after a group of Bangladeshi miscreants descended on his field and carted away paddy in broad daylight.

"We have nowhere to go except to our local MLA."