WHERE IS DUNCAN HUNTER WHEN YOU NEED HIM?
North Korea has a fence. Where is our American fence?
Posted on 12/18/2007 8:10:27 AM PST by CarrotAndStick
Plans by India to realign its electrified border fencing with neighbouring Pakistan in order to curb smuggling have been welcomed by thousands of local farmers, who argue that the move will "liberate" over 4,000 acres of their fertile land.
For over two decades access to these lands in northern Punjab - an area divided between the two nuclear rivals at independence 60 years ago - has been strictly regulated by the paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) manning the Indian frontier.
Their stance has caused local farmers immense hardship.
Security officials said ironing out wrinkles in the 462km (287 miles) long fence, located between 50m and several kilometres from the international border - would benefit hundreds of Punjabi farmers.
Counter-infiltration
The central home ministry and BSF officials said work on shifting the fence is expected to begin early next year. However they were unable to confirm completion deadlines.
Relocating the multi-tiered fencing - and related infrastructure used to illuminate it - is also expected to cost the central exchequer a "very large" sum, officials said.
The elaborate fence was erected in the late 1980s as a counter-infiltration measure at the height of the Sikh separatist movement.
It spread across Punjab's Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Ferozepur districts to stem the inflow of arms and trained militants from Pakistan into the insurgency-ridden Indian state.
And although it more or less followed the international border, topographical features such as rivers, forests and marshy areas resulted in it zigzagging its way along the frontier.
Some 90km (56 miles) of the frontier adjoining the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers that are prone to seasonal flooding is not fenced, patrolled instead by motorboats and armed guards.
The way the fence was constructed, however, meant that over 15,000 acres of fertile Indian farmland lay between it and the actual frontier. This was much to the chagrin of local farmers, who found that access to their land has been severely curtailed.
Every day at sunrise, and again before sunset, they line up at padlocked steel gates built into the fence at varying intervals before being allowed through by the BSF.
Heavily mined
Many complain about the daily ignominy of rough body searches twice a day and recurring harassment by BSF personnel.
Movement during the harvest and sowing seasons has been further complicated and slowed by the need for tractors and other farming machinery, without which the farmers are unable to work.
In addition, whenever there is increased tension between the two countries - like there was six years ago when both sides deployed their armies along the border following an attack on the Indian parliament blamed on Pakistan-backed gunmen - all movement across the frontier fence ceased for nearly 10 months.
During that time, the entire border belt was heavily mined.
This, in turn, resulted in un-harvested crops decaying and financial hardship to the owners.
New problem
"The fencing has been a handicap and a curse, significantly reducing incomes in the border villages," farmer Raghbir Singh of Dera Baba Nanak village on the Ravi River in Gurdaspur district said.
His assessment is corroborated by several studies by official and non-governmental organisations. It is also supported by a nascent movement by affected farmers in the border regions, which is lobbying for better access to their lands across the fence.
Besides coping with angry farmers, the past two decades have been doubly trouble-ridden for the BSF.
While the fencing effectively blocked infiltration into Punjab - resulting in the elimination of the Sikh insurgency in the early 1990s - a new problem emerged.
It became more easy to smuggle narcotics, weapons and counterfeit currency into India.
Officials said a large portion of this contraband entered through areas where the fencing was located well inside India's territory.
"When the fencing was erected, it zigzagged in many border areas, which meant that hundreds of farmers at some locations have to go through it on a daily basis to get to their land. This in turn has led to widespread smuggling," GS Gill, a senior BSF officer in charge of a large portion of the border told the BBC.
Mr Gill said it was difficult to search a large body of farmers with tractors, trolleys and other agricultural gear in which contraband goods were often concealed and brought into India.
"It is important to find a way to permanently curb smuggling and to make farming easier," Mr Gill said.
He argues that moving the fence is a near certain way of dealing with the problem.
Local farmers say that such a measure would greatly bolster the rural economy, because land prices have climbed exponentially over the past decade, and once the fence is moved, these plots could be sold.
"It could prove to be a lifeline for us, because all these past years this land has been virtually a dead investment for us, through no fault of our own," one farmer, Tarsem Singh of Ferozepur, told the BBC.
Well I’m sorry but that just makes WAY too much sense for it to work here.
But what about the wildlife?!?
We are sinking below Third World status, when we can’t even fence a border.
Israel helped India when they built this fence. Recently I visited the fence in Israel..and it is impressive.
Both fences have significantly reduced terrorist activity in India and Israel.
In the case of Pak/India, it has actually helped set the stage for a better relationship..
The fence in Israel gets mixed reviews..but not the results.
Some say that they can still get the terrorists in to bomb if they wanted to,but I doubt it.
The fence in San Diego works well..why do you think they now dig tunnels?
125KV+ I hope
Can we subcontract??
Or fix the tax code.
A few well placed Claymores and bouncing Betty’s would help too
but, but, but according to some of the “experts” on FR and in D.C., fences don’t work. LOL
and if they don’t work; why is there one around the WH?
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
we’re told that fences are like capital punishment: “it’s inhumane and barbaric,etc,etc,blah,blah...”
In the meantime, Mexico will oppose extradition of their murderers who murder our citizens in the US.
I think some politcians in the US could use some prodding on this issue along the Mexican-US border.
It better be a very high voltage cattle prod considering that the current budget bill passed by the House and likely passed by the Senate in the next couple of days removes the miniscule fencing requirement that had been the law.
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